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AN 

ATTEMPT  TO  EXPLAIN 

Goci's  Gracious  Covenant 

WITH   BELIEVERS; 

AND   ILLUSTRATE   THE 

DUTY  OF  PAP.ENTS, 

TO 


CHILDREN  IN  BAPTISM,  AND  TllAIN 

THEU    UP    IN    THE  FEAPv 

OF    GOD. 


By  JOHN  HUBBARD'^URCH, 

PASTOR  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  PELHAM,  A'.  H, 


PUBLISHED  ACCORDING  TO  ACT  CF  COX  CRESS. 


AMHERST,  N.'H. 
PRINTED  AND  SOLD  BY  JOSEI^H  CUSHING, 

i8oc. 


or  ev^. 


DISCOURSE   I. 


GENESIS  xvli.  7. 

And  I  will  eftahlijh  my  covenant  between  me  and 
thee^  and  thy  feed  after  thee^  in  their  genera^ 
tions^for  an  everlafiing  covenant^  to  he  a  Cod 
unto  thee^  and  to  thy  feed  after  tJjee, 

ABRAHAM  is  the  father  of  believers. 
All,  who  are  of  faith,  are  bleffed  v/ith 
him.  It  is  therefore  highly  important,  right- 
ly to  know,  wherein  believers  are  now  bkiT- 
ed  with  faithful  Abraham.  To  afcertain  thiij 
matter,  let  us  attend  to  the  covenant,  which 
God  here  promifes  to  eftabiifh  with  Abraham 
and  his  feed. 

I.  This  covenant  is,  eiTentially,  the  cove- 
nant of  grace.  This  is  evident  from  the  con- 
fideration,  that  when  the  covenant  was  made 
with  Abraham,  he  was  a  believer,  and  in  a 
juftified  ftate.  Thus  we  read.  Gen.  xv.  that 
Abraham  believed  in  the  Lord  ;  and  he  counted 
it  to  him  for  right eoufnefs.  And  the  Apoftle, 
in  Romans  iv.  plainly  allures  us,  that  the  faith> 
which  Abraham  then  exercifed,  was  faving, 
juflifying  faith.     It  mull   therefore  be  admit- 


C    4    ] 

ted  that  the  covenant,  which  God  promifes  to 
ertabliih  with  him,  is  elTentially  the  covenant  of 
gracCjOr  the  covenant  of  grace  renewed  andgiv- 
en  to  him  in  2.  peculiar  form.  For  whocan  plead, 
or  evxfin  fuppofe  that  God  made  a  covenant  of 
wc-fc^  ith  Abraham. after  he  had  believed, and 
Vwi3  juftiiied  on  the  terms  of  the  gofpel  ?  For 
grace  and  works  are  entirely  different  :  Rom. 
::i.  6.  "  And  if  by  grace,  then  is  it  no  more 
ui  works  ;  otherwife  grace  is  no  more  grace. 
But  if  it  be  of  works,  then  is  it  no  more 
grace ;  otherwife  v/ork  is  no  more  work." 
Hence  it  could  not  be  in  part  the  covenant  of 
grace,  and  in  part  the  covenant  of  works,  be- 
caufe  it  is  not  pofiible  to  blend  the  covenant 
of  grace  and  the  covenant  of  works. 

It  farther  appears  to  be  the  covenant  of 
grc^xe  from  the  feal.  The  Apoftle  fays,  Rom. 
iv.  11,  that  Abraham  '' received  the  fign  of 
<  ircumcifion,  a  feal  of  the  righteoufnefs  of  the 
faitii,  which  he  had,  yet  being  uncircumcifed, 
that  he  rnio-ht  be  the  father  of  all  them  that 
believe,  thougli  they  be  not  circumcifed  ;  that 
righteoufnefs  might  be  imputed  unto  them  al- 
fo."  Circumcifion  was  a  feal  of  this  covenant, 
and  of  that  righteoufnefs  which  is  imputed  to 
believers  of  every  age  for  their  juftification 
before  God.  How  then  can  any  fuppofe  that 
it  was  not  the  covenant  of  grace  ?  For  a  feal 
of  the  righteoufnefs  of  faith  can  be  the  feal  of 
no  other,  except  the  covenant  of  grace  :  It 
cannot  be  the  feal  of  the  covenant  of  works,. 


[    5    ] 

The  covenant  with  Abraham  has  this  con- 
dition— "  Walk  before  me,  and  be  thou  per- 
fect." But  this  condition  does  not  prevent 
the  covenant's  being  the  covenant  of  grace. 
For  a  condition  is  elTential  to  every  real  and 
proper  covenant.  The  covenant  of  grace,  in 
its  moft  limple  form,  evidently  has  a  condi- 
tion. 'For  thus  we  read  :  "  He  that  belie veth 
and  is  baptized  dall  be  faved.  IncHne  your 
ear  and  come  unto  m.e  ;  hear  and  your  foul 
fliall  live  ;  and  I  will  make  an  everl ailing  cov- 
enant with  you,  even  the  fure  mercies  of  Da- 
vid." No  one  fulfils  this  condition  and  fo 
has  the  covenant  of  grace  made  with  him,  ex- 
cept God  works  in  him  to  will  and  to  do  : 
Nor  could  Abraham,  without  fpecial  grace, 
walk  before  God  and  be  perfect,  and  fulfil  the 
condition  of  the  covenant,  which  God  prom- 
ifes  to  efi:abliih  with  him  and  his  feed. 

The  promife  of  temporal  blefiings,  and  par- 
ticularly the  land  of  Canaan,  is  no  evidence 
that  it  was  not  the  covenant  of  grace.  For 
the  covenant  of  grace  may  contain  a  promife  of 
temporal  blefilngs,  as  well  as  of  fpiritual :  Tem- 
poral blefilngs  are  promifed  to  the  godly  in 
the  gofpel.  Matt.  vi.  33.  "  But  feek  ye  firil 
the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteoufnefs  ; 
and  all  thefe  things  ihali  be  added  unto  you." 
I.  Tim.  iv.  8.  "  But  godlinefs  is  profitable  un- 
to all  things,  having  promife  cf  the  life  that 
now  is,  and  of  that  which  is  to  come." — The 
feed  of  Abraham  were  required  to  be  holy,  ia 

A  2 


C    6    J 

order  to  inherit  the  land  of  Canaan.  Still  it 
appears,  from  Deut,  ix.  5,  6,  that  it  was  not 
through  the  merit  of  their  holinefs  and  right- 
eoufnefs,  that  they  were  brought  to  poffefs 
this  good  land  ;  but  on  the  ground  of  God's 
gracious  covenant.  We  are  alfo  taught  in 
Heb.  iii.  and  iv.  that  they  were  to  receive  the 
land  of  Canaan,  in  the  fame  Vv-ay  in  which  we 
are  to  receive  fpiritual  bleffings  ;  that  is  by 
faith  :  "  So  we  fee  they  could  not  enter  in,  be- 
caufe  of  unbelief. — Let  us  labor  therefore  to 
enter  into  that  reft,  left  any  man  fall  after  the 
fame  example  of  unbelief."  The  promife  of 
rhe  land  of  Canaan  was  an  appendage  of  the 
covenant  of  grace  with  xVbraham.  The  great 
promife  was  this — "  To  be  a  God  unto  ihee  and 
io  fJ?y  feed,^'  This  was  a  promife  of  all  fpiritu- 
al bleinngs,  and  of  endlefs  glory  and  felicity. 
No  greater,  or  more  gracious  promife  can  be 
found  in  the  word  of  God, 

God  had  a  particular  defign  in  annexing  the 
promife  of  Canaan  to  the  covenant.  He  de- 
fign ed  to  eftabliili  his  character,  as  a  faithful 
God,  in  the  view  of  meil.'^  To  do  this,  it  was 
expedient  to  make  a  promife  of  fome  tempo- 
ral blciling,  fo  that  it  migh^  be  feen  in  the 
prefent  hfe,  that  he  fulfilled  his  covenant  en- 
gagements. The  enioyment  of  this  temporal 
bleffmg,  might  lead  them  to  look  for  fpiritual 
bleilings  and  endlefs  gloiy.  Dwelling  in  the 
land  of  promife  mi.dit, lead  them  to  look  for 
eternal  reft,   in  the  h'&vcnly  ftate.     For  the. 


[   7    ] 

land  of  Canaan  was  viewed  by  the  faints  as  a 
type  of  the  heavenly  inheritance.  "  By  faith 
Abraham  fojourned  in  the  land  of  promife,  as 
in  a  ftrange  country,  dweUing  in  tabernacles 
with  Ifaac  and  Jacob,  the  heirs  with  him  of 
the  fame  promife  :  For  he  looked  for  a  city, 
which  hath  foundations,  whofe  builder  and 
maker  is  God.  Thefe,"  /.  e»  Abraham,  Sarah, 
Ifaac  and  Jacob,  "  all  died  in  faith,  not  having 
received  the  promifes,"  not  having  feen  or  ex- 
perienced their  complete  fulfilment, '-  but  hav- 
ing feen  them  afar  off,  and  were  perfuaded  of 
them,  and  embraced  them,  and  confefled  that 
they  were  ftrangers  and  pilgrims  on  the  earth. 
For  they  that  fay  fuch  things  declare  plainly 
that  they  feek  a  country.  But  now  tliey  de- 
iire  a  better  country,  that  is,  an  heavenly  : 
Wherefore  God  is  not  afhamed  to  be  called 
their  God  ;  for  he  hath  prepared  for  them  a 
city."  As  the  land  of  Canaan  was  typical 
of  heaven,  and  was  to  be  received  by  faith, 
the  fame  as  the  heavenly  inheritance  is  to  be 
received,  hence  the  evidence  is  clear  and  full, 
that  the  covenant  v/ith  Abraham  is  the  cove- 
nant of  grace. 

IL  The  covenaat  was  eftablifhed  with 
thofe,  and  only  thofe,  who  had  true  religion. 
It  could  not  be  made  with  .any,  except  they 
had  the  faith  of  Abraham.  To  keep  the  cov- 
enant, they  vv ere  required  to  walk  before  God 
and  be  perfect.  Abraham's  defcendants  were 
required,  as  v/ell  as  he,  to  exerdfe  faith,   and 


C    8    ] 

be  perfffiS  in  walking  before  God,  and  thus 
fulfil  the  condition  of  the  covenant.  When 
Mofes,  Jofhua  and  the  Prophets  required  any 
to  enter  into  covenant  with  God,  they  requir- 
ed them  to  love  God  with  all  the  heart,  and 
walk  in  all  his  ways.  And  God  eilabliflied 
his  covenant  with  thofe  who  were  obedient. 
But  God's  covenant  is  not  made  with  the 
wicked.  He  requires  the  wicked  to  forfake 
his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his 
thoughts,  and  return  to  him  :  On  doing  this, 
he  promifes  to  make  an  everlafting  covenant 
with  him.  "  But  unto  the  wicked  God  faith. 
What  haft  thou  to  do  to  declare  my  ftatutes, 
or  that  thou  fliouldft  take  my  covenant  in 
thy  mouth  ?"  It  is  abfurd  to  fuppofe  that  God 
eftabliihes  his  gracious  covenant  with  the  wick= 
ed — ^with  the  impenitent — with  his  rebellious 
enemies. 

Here  we  may  notice  in  what  fenfe  this  cov- 
enant  was  national*  It  was  national  in  that 
it  was  revealed,  in  a  fovereign  manner,  to  A- 
braham  and  his  pofterity  ;  and  they  were  all 
required  to  have  faith  and  walk  before  God 
and  be  perfect,  and  in  this  way  have  the  cove- 
nant eftabliflied  with  them.  But  the  covenant 
of  grace  is  revealed  to  other  nations.  For  all 
of  every  nation,  who  hear  the  gofpel,  are  re- 
quired to  comply  with  it  in  fpirit  and  in  truth, 
that  God  may  make  an  everbfling  covenant 
with  them,  and  grant  them  the  fure  mercies 
of  David.     The  covenant  with  Abraham  is 


[    9    ] 

not  therefore  diflferent  from  the  covenant  of 
grace  under  the  gofpel. 

III.     The   covenant  \^dth  Abraham  was  to 
extend  to  Gentiles  :  It  was  not  to  be  confined 
to  his  defcendants.     This  is  plainly  implied  in 
God's  words  to  Abraham,  when  revealing  the 
covenant  to  him,  and  promiiing  that  he  Ihould 
be  the  father  of  many  nations  :  "  As  for   me, 
behold  my  covenant  is  with  thee,  and  thou 
fhalt  be  a  father  of  many  nations."     And  the 
Apoftle,  in  Rom.  iv.  fpeaking  of  the  promife 
that  Abraham  lliould  be  the  father  of  all  that 
believe,  fays,  "  Therefore  it  is  of  faith,  that  it 
might  be  by  grace,  to  the  end  the   promife 
might  be  fure  to  all  the  feed,  not  to  that  only 
which  is  of  the  law,  but  to  that  alfo  which  is 
of  the  faith  of  Abraham,  who  is  the  father  of 
\js  all,  as  it  is  written,  I  have  made  thee  a  fa- 
ther  of  many  nations,"  &c.     It  is  hence  evi- 
dent that  the  promife  made  to  Abraham  ex- 
tends to  believing  Gentiles.     But  this  is  not  a 
promife    of  a    Saviour    only,  but  alfo  of  the 
Spirit,  or  of  fpiritual   and    faving   blellings. 
Thus  the  Apoftle,  in  Gal.  iii.  informs  us  that 
Chrift  has  been  made  a  curfe,  that  the  bleiling 
of    Abraham   mJo^ht   come  on    the    Gentiles 
through  Jefus  Clirift ;  that  we  might  receive 
the  prom.ife  of  the  Spirit  through  faith.     But 
this  promife  of  the  Spirit,  or  of  faving  blef- 
fmgs,  is  no  where  fo  exprefsly  made  to  Abra- 
ham, as  it  is  in  the  covenant,  in  v/hich  God 
promifes  to  be  a  God  to  Abraham  and  his 


[   'o] 

feed.  Gentile  believing  parents  are  as  much  en- 
titled to  this  promife,  as  any  who  defcended 
from  Abraham.  For,  faith  the  Apoflle,  Gal. 
iii.  9,  29,  "  So  then  they  which  be  of  faith 
are  bleffed  with  faithful  Abraham.  And  if 
ye  be  Chrift's,  then  are  ye  Abraham's  feed  and 
heirs  according  to  the  promife."  Hence  the 
Apoflle  teaches  us,  Rom.  xi.  that  Gentile  be- 
lievers, under  the  gofpel,  have  as  great  and 
precious  promifes  as  the  believing  Ifraelites  be- 
fore had.  Believing  Gentiles  are  grafFed  into 
the  good  olive-tree,  from  which  the  unbeliev- 
ing Jews  were  broken  off,  and  they  partake 
of  the  root  and  fatnefs  of  the  olive-tree.  Thefe 
are  the  promifes  made  to  Abraham,  and  con- 
tinued, or  renewed  to  the  godly  after  him^ 
And  one  of  the  moft  precious  and  comprehen- 
iive  of  thefe  promifes  is — "  To  be  a  God 
unto  thee^  and  to  thy  feed" — Hence  the  cov- 
enant made  with  Abraham,  is  now  made 
with  believers,  as  to  its  great  promife  of  fpirit- 
ual  bleffings. 

IV.  The  great  promife  of  this  covenant  is 
a  promife  to  Abraham,  that  the  Lord  will  be 
a  God,  not  only  to  him,  but  alfo  to  his  feed. 
This  cannot  be  doubted,  when  we  confider 
how  exprefs  the  words  are — To  be  a  God  imto 
thee  and  to  thy  feed  after  thee.  God  here  prom- 
ifes Abraham,  to  be  a  God  to  his  natural  feed  ^ 
for  he  promifes  Abraham,  to  be  a  God  to  that 
feed,  to  whom  he  promifes  to  give  the  land  of 
Canaan.    This  cannot  be  denied  in  view  of 


[ "  ] 

Cod's  exprefs  declaration  in  the  text  and  in 
the  following  verfe  :  "  I  will  eftablifti  my  cov- 
enant between  me  and  thee,  and  thy  feed  af- 
ter thee,  in  their  generations,  for  an  everlaft- 
ing  covenant,  to  be  a  God  unto  thee  and  to 
thy  feed  after  thee.  And  I  will  give  unto 
thee  and  to  thy  feed  after  thee,  the  land 
wherein  thou  art  a  ftranger,  all  the  land  of 
Canaan,  for  an  everlafting  poflefiion  ;  and  I 
wdll  be  their  God."  Here  God  repeats  the 
promife  to  Abraham,  to  be  a  God  to  that  feed, 
to  whom  he  promifed  the  land  of  Canaan. 
This  was  Abraham's  natural  feed,  and  not  be- 
lieving Gentiles. — The  promife  refpe^ed  that 
feed,  who  were  to  have  the  feal  of  the  cove- 
nant put  upon  them,  by  being  circumcifed. 
For,  after  God  had  repeated  the  promife  to 
be  a  God  to  the  natural  feed  of  Abraham,  he 
then  faid  to  him, "  Thou  flialt  keep  my  cove- 
nant, therefore^  thou  and  thy  feed  after  thee, 
in  their  generations.  This  is  my  covenant 
which  ye  fliall  keep  between  me  and  you  and 
thy  feed  after  thee  :  Every  man  child  among 
you  fball  be  circumcifed.  And  ye  fliall  cir- 
cumcife  the  flefh  of  your  foreikin  ;  and  it 
fliall  be  a  token  of  the  covenant  between  me 
and  you."  Th^  application  of  the  feal  to  the 
natural  feed  of  Abraham  was  a  token  that  the 
promife  had  peculiar  refped  to  his  feed. 

But  how  could  God  promife,  in  his  cove- 
nant with  Abraham,  to  be  a  God  to  his  natural 
feed  ?  For  God  cannot  be  a  God  to  any,  while 


C  12  ] 

they  are  unrenewed  and  impenitent.  For 
him  to  be  a  God  to  any,  in  the  proper  fenfe  of 
the  term,  they  muft  be  a  holy  people.  Thus 
he  promifes  in  his  covenant,  Heb.  viii.  "  I  will 
put  my  laws  into  their  mind,  and  write  them 
in  their  hearts  ;  and  I  will  be  to  them  a  God, 
and  they  ihall  be  to  me  a  people."  It  is  hence 
fuggefted  whether  the  promife  to  Abraham 
w^ere  not  a  promife  that  his  natural  fxd  ftiould 
be  renewed  and  become  a  fpiritual  and  holy 
feed,  and  fo  have  the  Lord  for  their  God. 
That  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  promife  is 
evident  from  God's  exprefs  teftimony  con- 
cerning Abraham,  Gen.  xviii.  19.  "  For  I 
know  him  that  he  will  command  his  chi^^KJi 
and  his  houfehold  after  him,  and  they 
keep  the  way  of  the  Lord,  to  do  juftice  ai 
judgment  ;  that  the  Lord  may  bring  upon 
Abraham  that  which  he  hath  fpoken  of  hirn." 
God  here  teflifies  that  Abraham  would  com- 
mand his  children  and  houfehold  after  him  : 
This  expreffes  Abraham's  faithfulnefs.  God 
alfo  promifes  that  in  this  way,  Abraham's 
children  and  houfehold  fhould  keep  the  way 
of  the  Lord,  and  do  juftice  and  judgment : 
This  exprelTes  their  piety  ;  and  teaches  us  that 
Abraham's  faithfulnefs  ihoul4  be  blelfed,  to 
their  faving  converfion.  We  are  alfo  taught 
in  this  paiTage,  that,  God,  by  blefling  Abra- 
ham's faithfulnefs  to  the  faving  good  of  his 
children  and  houfehold,  did  bring  upon  Abra. 
ham  that  which  he  had  fpoken  of  him,  or  did 


C  13  ] 

fulfil  his  covenant  with  him.  By  doing  this, 
God  made  ibem  his  holy  people,  and  became 
their  God.  In  this  way,  he  eflabliihed  his 
covenant  with  them,  as  he  promifed  Abra- 
ham.* 

*  It  may  be  doubted  by  fome,  whether  Ifhmael  weie 
a  good  man  :  And  It  may  be  tliought  that  he  was  ex- 
cluded, from  God's  gracious  covenant,  becanfe  God  ex- 
prefsly  faid  tliat  his  covenant  fhould  be  eitabliHied  v/uh 
Ifaac  and   with  his  ieed'  after  him. 

To  fatisfy  the  doubting,  inquiring  mind  on  this  fub- 
jed,  it  may  be  obferved,  that  God  for  wife  reafon* 
made  a  difference  between  Ifaac  and  Ilhmael.  We 
may  fee   the   propriety   of  it.     The   Meffiah    was     to 

«,  from  Ifaac  ;  hence,  in  preparing  tlie  way  for 
earance  of  Chrift  on  the  earth,  it  was  expedient 
i  to  promife  that  his  covenant  fliould  be  eftab- 
/ith  Ifiac  and  with  his  feed  after  bin.  ;  and  a 
Church  and  true  religion  be  m.aintained  among  Ifaac's 
defcendants.  until  Chrill  fhould  come.  God's  defign 
did  not  render  it  expedient  that  he  fnould  explicitly 
make  the  fame  promife  refpecling  Ifhmael  and  his  feed  ; 
i^r  the  Mtfliah  v^'as  not  to  fpring  fiom  lilimael.  But 
there  is  no  evidence  that  Ifhmael  was  not  a  good  man, 
and  had  not  the  Lord  for  his  God. — A  difference  was 
made  between  Sarali  and  Hagar  ;  and  yet  it  appeals 
that  Hagar  v/as  truly  a  pious  perfon,  and  tlie  LorJ  was 
liei  Gcd.  So  a  difference  miglitbe  made  between  Ifaac 
and  Iilnnael,  and  yet  Ifhmael  be  a  pious  perfon,  and  be 
favingly  interefled  in  God's  everlafiing  covenant.  "We 
have  no  evidence  from  fcripture  th^ithe  was  not  a  pious 
•perfon  ;  but  v/e  have  evidence  that  he  was. — When  A.- 
braham.  prayed.  Oh  that  Ifhrnael  might  live  before  tliee  : 
God  faid,  As  for  Ifnmael,  I  have  heard  thee  :  Behold  I 
have  bleffed  him — Gqvl.  xvii.  20.  Abraham,  no  doubt, 
"in  his  prayer  for  Iflmiael,  had  refped:  to  faving,  fpi ritual 
B 


[   14  ] 

We  have  further  telHmony,  Gen.  xxvi.  that 
Ifaac  was  bleffed  on  account  of  his  fa- 
ther's faithfulnefs.  God  faid  to  Ifaac — "  I 
■will  be  with  thee,  and  will  blefs  thee. — And  I 
will  perform  the  oath,  which  I  fware  unto  A- 
braham,  thy  father. — Becaiije  that  Abraham 
obeyed  my  voice,  and  kept  my  charge,  my 
commandments,  my  ftatutes,  and  my  laws." 

We  may  hence  conclude  that  it  was  in  con- 
fequence  of  Abraham's  faithfulnefs,  that  the 
Lord  was  a  God  to  his  children.  This  is 
further  fupported  by  the  text,  and  what  pre- 
cedes :  God  faid  to  Abraham — "  Walk  before 
me  and  be  thou  perfect.  And  I  will  eftablifli 
my  covenant  between  miC  and  thee  and  thy 
feed  after  thee,  in  their  generations,  for  an 
everlafling  covenant,  to  be  a  God  unto  thee 
and  to  thy  feed  after  thee."  It  was  on  ac- 
count of  Abraham's  walking  before  God,  and 

blefilngs  ;  and  Gcd's  anfwer  to  Abraham  leads  us  to 
cor. elude  that  Ilhmael  was  blefTed  with  fpiritual  and 
laving  bleiBngs,  and  that  he  fliould  enjoy  the  peculiar 
favor  of  Heaven. — God's  declaration  is  alfo  exprefs 
that  Abraham's  children  fhould  keep  the  way  of  the 
Lord,  to  do  juftice  and  judgment.  This  declaration 
refpedts  Ifhmael,  as  well  as  Ifaac  ;  and  is  pofitive  evi- 
dence of  Iflimael's  being  a  pious  man. — Wlien  Ifhmael 
died,  it  is  faid  by  the  infpired  writer,  that  he  'was  gather- 
ed  uv.to  k'ls  people.  This  is  often  fpoken  of  the  death  of 
the  righteous,  but  not  of  the  death  of  the  wicked.  Job, 
fpeaking  of  the  wicked,  under  the  character  of  the  rich 
man,  fays,  that  he  Ihall  lie  down,  but  he  fiall  net  he  gath- 
ered. 


[   '5] 

being  perfecl,  and,  of  courfe,  faithful  to  his 
children,  that  the  Lord  would  be  their  God. 
God  promised  Abraham,  that,  if  he  was  faith- 
^ful,  his  children,  his  natural  feed,  fiiould  be 
renewed,  and  be  a  fpiritual  and  holy  feed. 
It  is  hence  plain  that  the  feed  of  Abraham 
were  comprehended  in  the  covenant  with  him, 
on  condition  of  his  faithfulnefs. 

It  is  thought  that  the  words  of  the  Apofth, 
in  Gal.  iii.  i6,  accord  with  this  fentiment. 
To  fee  that  they  do,  it  may  fjiHce  to  obfervc 
the  connection,  and  the  Apoftle's  objecl  in  ui- 
ing  them.  After  flating,  chap.  ii.  the  doclrine 
of  juftification  by  faith,  he  labors,  in  this 
chapter,  to  fiiew  the  neceifity  of  faith,  in  or- 
der to  be  partakers  of  the  gofpel  fah^ation. 
"  Know  ye,  therefore,  that  they,  which  are 
of  faith,  the  fame  are  the  cliildren  of  Abraham. 
And  the  fcripture,  forefeeing  that  God  would 
juftify  the  heathen,  through  faith,  preached 
before  the  gofpel  unto  Abraham,  faying,  In 
thee  fhall  all  nations  be  blefled.  So  then  they 
which  be  of  faith  are  bieifed  with  faithful 
Abraham,"  He  afterwards  fays,  that  Chrift 
hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curfe  of  the  law, 
beino;  made  a  curfe  for  us : — that  the  bleflinc: 
of  Abraham  might  come  on  the  Gentiles, 
through  Jefus  Chrift ;  that  we  might  receive 
the  promife  of  the  Spirit  through  faith.  We 
here  fee  that  the  bleffing  of  Abraham  comes 
to  Gentiles  through  Chrift ;  and  that  this 
bleffing  is  the  promife  of  the  Spirit,  which  is 


^ 


[   i6  ] 

received  by  faith  in  Chrift.  In  further  eftab- 
Killing  this  point,  it  was  pertinent  to  bring 
into  view  God's  covenant  with  Abraham,  and 
fay,  "  Now  to  Abraham  and  his  feed  were 
the  promifes  made.  He  faith  not,  And  to 
feeds,  as  of  many ;  but  as  of  one,  And  to 
thy  feed,  which  is  Chriil."  The  promife  looks 
to  Chrift ;  in  him,  God's  promifes  are  yea 
and  amen.  We  mufl  be  found  in  Chriil:  ; 
we  mufl  be  his,  by  faith,  in  order  to  be  fav- 
ingly  intcrefted  in  the  promiies.  "  If  ye  be 
Chrift's,  then  are  ye  Abraham's  feed,  and 
heirs  according  to  the  promife."  But  it  is  no 
contradiction  to  this,  that  God's  promife  to 
Abraham  had  a  pecuHar  refpecl  to  his  natural 
iecd,  and  gave  affurance  that  this  feed  ihould 
\:i  renev/ed  and  have  faith,  if  A.braham  walk- 
ed before  God  and  v/as  perfect. 

Now  all  other  godly  parents,  who  enter  in- 
to covenant  with  God,  have  the  fame  promife 
made  to  them  refpecling  their  children.  For 
the  fame  covenant,  effentially,  is  made  with 
them,  Vv'hich  God  eftabliHied  with  Abraham. 
H^rnce  the  children  of  all  other  godly  parents 
are  comprehended  in  the  covenant  with  their 
parents,  on  condition  of  their  p:irents'  being 
faithful. — Here  I  wifh  to  have  it  particularly 
noticed,  that  when  I  fpeak  of  childrens'  being 
comprehended  in  the  covenant  with  their  pa- 
ents,  my  meaning  is — That  the  covenant  has 
peculiar  refpecl  to  the  children,  and  contains 
a  promife  that  they  fliall  be  fanclified,  if  their 


k 


C  17] 

parents  are  faithful  :  Tliey  are  comprehend- 
ed in  the  covenant,  in  this  fenfe,  that  there  is 
an  eftabUflied  conne6lion  between  their  par- 
ents' faithfulnefs  and  their  piety. 

That  the  children  of  the  godly  are,  in  this 
fenfe,  comprehended  in  the  covenant  with 
their  parents,  is  further  confirmed  by  other 
paflages  of  God's  word,  in  which  he  prom.ifes 
faving  blellings  to  the  children  of  his  covenant 
people.  Jer.  xxxii.  38,  39.  "  And  they  {hall 
be  my  people,  and  I  wdll  be  their  God.  And 
I  will  give  them  one  heart  and  one  w^ay,  that 
they  may  fear  me  forever  for  the  good  of  them 
and  of  their  children  after  them.  And  I  will 
make  an  everlafting  covenant  with  them.'' 
Ifai.  Ixi.  8,9."  And  I  will  direct  their  work 
in  truth,  and  I  will  make  an  everlafting  cov- 
enant with  them.  And  their  feed  fhall  be 
known  among  the  Gentiles,  and  their  offspring 
among  the  people  :  Ail  that  fee  them  fhall  ac- 
knowledge them  that  they  are  the  feed  which 
the  Lord  hath  bleffed."  Ifai.  Ixv,  23.  "  Hiey 
fhall  not  labor  in  vain,  nor  bring  forth  for 
trouble  ;  for  they  are  the  feed  of  the  bieil'ed 
of  the  Lord  and  their  offspring  with  them." 
And  in  Ifai.  xliv.  3,  4,  5,  he  promifes  his  cdv- 
cnant  people  how^  he  w^ill  blefs  their  children  : 
*'  I  wdll  pour  my  fpirit  upon  thy  feed,  and  my 
bleiTmg  upon  thine  offspring.  And  they  fhall 
fpring  up  as  among  the  grafs,  as  willows  by 
the  water-courfes.  One  fhall  fay,  I  am  the 
,Lord'5  j  and  another  fhall  fubfcribe  wdth  his 
B  2 


[  i8  ] 

hand  unto  the  Lord,  and  furname  himfelf  by 
the  name  of  Ifrael."  This  is  a  promife  to  par- 
ents, that  their  children  fliall  be  renewed  by 
fpecial  grace.  And  comparing  the  promiie 
with  other  parts  of  fcripture,  it  is  evident  that 
it  is  made  on  condition  that  parents  be  faithfuL 
AW  thefe  promifes  ferve  to  explain  the  cove- 
nant which  God  makes  w^ith  believing  parents  j 
and  to  confirm  this  truth,  that  God  has  eftab- 
iifhed  a  connection  between  the  faithfulneis  of 
parents  and  the  piety  of  their  children,  fo  that 
the  Lord  w^ill  be  a  God  indeed  to  children,  if 
their  parents  are  faithful. 

This  gracious  conneclion  is.  further  taught 
in  thefe  plain  commands :  "  Withhold  not 
correction  from  the  child  ; — ^for  if  thou  beat- 
eft  him  with  the  rod,  he  fliall  not  die.  Thou 
ilialt  beat  him  with  the  rod ;  and  {halt  deliv- 
er his  foul  from  hell.  Correct  thy  fon,  and  he 
fiiall  give  thee  reil ;  yea,  he  fiiall  give  delight 
unto  thy  foul."  The  piety  and  Talvation  of 
children  are  here  proniifedto  parents,  on  their 
faithfully  correcting  and  inftru^ting  them. 
Here  God  promifes  that  children  fhall  be  fav- 
ed  from  hell,  through  their  parents'  faithful- 
nefs. 

it  is  no  fuiBcient  objection  againft  this  doc- 
trine, that  the  children  of  pious  parents  have 
Kved  in  fin  and  been  openly  vicious.  For  pa- 
rents may  be  truly  pious,  and  yet  be  very  un- 
faithful to  their  children.  Eli  was  a  good 
Hian  :    Eut  he  greatly  neglected  his  children. 


4 


[  19  ] 

and  did  not  reflrain  them,  as  he  ought,  when 
they  made  themfeives  vile.  Ifaac  and  Jacob 
were  alfo  partial  towards  their  children,  and 
did  not  perform  the  part  of  faithful  parents, 
although  they  had  true  religion.  The  fame 
may  be  obferved  of  David.  But  if  thefe  and 
all  other  parents  had  been  faithful,  as  Abra- 
ham was,  we  cannot  doubt  but  God  would 
have  been  faithful  and  renewed  their  children. 
For  he  did  blefs  Abraham's  faithfulnefs,  fo  that 
his  children  were  truly  pious,  and  had  the. 
Lord  for  their  God. — It  may  be  added, 

V.  That  God  exprefsly  directed  that  his 
covenant  of  promife  ihould  be  confirmed  by  a 
feal. 

The  feal  which  God  inflituted  in  making  this 
covenantwithAbrahamwas  circumciiion.  This 
^he  Apoftk  exprefsly  declares,  was  the  feal  of  the 
righteoufnefs  of  faith.  It  was  therefore  a  feal  on 
the  part  of  God — a  feal  of  his  promife,  to  be  a 
God  to  Abraham,  and  alfo  a  God  to  his  feed, 
if  he  walked  before  God  and  was  perfect.  For 
the  phrafe,  the  righteoufnefs  of  faith,  is  never 
ufed,  in  the  Bible,  to  denote  the  charader  or 
the  duty  of  the  believer  :  But  it  means  a  jufUfy- 
ing  righteoufnefs,  or  a  righteoufnefs,  on  ac- 
count of  which  the  believer  is  juilified,  fo 
that  the  Lord  may  be  his  God.  Hence  a  feal 
of  this  righteoufnefs  of  faith  is  the  fame  as  a 
feal  of  God's  gracious  promife  to  be  a  God  to 
-the  believer  and  to  his  feed.  This  is  called 
ihe  righteoufnefs  of  God^  for  it  is  the  ever- 


[20] 

lading  righteoufnefs  which  Jefus  Chrift,  "  the 
7nighty  Qod^'  has  brought  in,  by  his  per  fed  obe- 
dience. And  this  righteoufnefs  is  faid,  by  the 
ApofHcjto  be  imputed  to  them  that  believe.  By 
this  is  meant,  I  conceive,  that  it  is  wholly  on 
account  of  this  righteoufnefs,  that  they  arejuf- 
tiiied  :  They  have  the  everlafting  benefit  of  it. 
— Circumcifion  was  a  feal  of  this  righteoufnefs, 
and  was  to  be  applied  to  the  believing  parenf 
and  to  his  children.  The  promife  was — I  will 
be  a  God  unto  thee  and  to  thy  feed.  The 
command  followed — Therefore^  every  man 
child  among  you  fhall  be  circumcifed ;  and  ye 
ihall  circumcife  the  flefh  of  vour  forelkin. 
The  command  to  circumcife  is  founded  on  the 
promife  of  God  to  be  a  God  to  th|;  believer 
and  his  feed.  Circumcifion  is  therefore  a  feal 
of  God's  promife.  Becaufe  God  promifes  the 
believer  to  be  his  God  and  the  God  of  his 
feed,  therefore  the  feal  is  to  be  applied  to  the 
parent  and  his  children.  This  was  God's  ex- 
prefs  appointment. — Circumcifion  w^as  alfo  a 
feal  of  the  parent's  engagements  to  be  faithful. 
— And  God's  covenant  would  not  have  been 
kept,  but  broken,  if  this  feal  had  not  been  ap- 
plied, as  God  directed.  For  thus  faith  the 
Lord  ;  "  And  the  uncircumcifed  man-child^  ivhofe 
jlejh  of  his  forejkln  is  720t  drcwncifed^  that  foul jhall 
be  cut  off  from  his  -people ;  he  hath  broken  my 
covenant.'* 


L"  21    1 

IMPROVEMENT. 

1.  WE  learn  that  God's  gracious  covenant 
with  believing  parents  very  happily  anfwers  to 
our  loft  and  ruined  ftate.  The  fin  of  our 
firft  parents  ruined  all  their  pofterity.  "  By 
one  man's  difobedience  many  were  made  fin- 
ners."  For  "  by  one  man,  fin  entered  into  the 
worldjand  death  by  fin;  and  fo  death  pafied  up- 
on all  men,  for  that  all  have  finned."  In  this- 
firft  tranfgrefiion,  which  has  brought  ruin  up- 
on all  mankind,  our  firft  parents  were  jointly 
concerned.  Since  this  firft  apoftacy,  parents, 
in  every  age,  have  done  more  ar  lefs  to  ruin 
their  children.  But  where  fin  has  abounded, 
the  grace  of  God  can  much  more  abounds 
This  grace  can  enable  parents  to  be  happily  in- 
ftrumental  in  faving  their  children. 

Inftead  of  living  in  fin  and  leading  their 
children  to  endlefs  deftruclion,  parents  may 
be  fanciiiied  by  this  grace,  and  train  up  their 
children  for  God's  kingdom  of  glory. 

It  is  abundantly  evident  that  children  fuf- 
fer  in  confequence  of  their  parents'  fins.  The 
iniquities  of  the  fathers  are  vifited  upon  the 
children  ;  although  the  children  are  puniflied 
for  no  fins  but  their  own.  On  the  other 
hand,  God's  gracious  covenant,  as  it  has  nov/ 
been  exhibited,  prefents  a  way.  in  which  chil- 
dren may  be  favingly  benefitted  by  their  par= 
ents'  con  duel.  Parental  fiiithfulnefs  will  fe» 
cure  the  piety  of  children  ^ 


[    22    J 

God*s  gracious  covenant,  as  it  has  now 
been  explained,  anfwers  to  the  covenant  which 
was  originally  made  with  our  firft  parents. 
If  Adam  continued  obedient,  all  his  pofterity 
were  to  be  holy.  But  if  he  tranfgreffed,  his 
children  w^ere  to  be  iinners.  So  now,  if  par- 
ents be  faithful,  their  children  by  divine 
grace  ihall  be  renewed  and  faved.  But  if 
parents  be  unfaithful,  their  children  will  per- 
ifh,  unlefs  mere,  uncovenanted  mercy  prevent. 
In  this  view  of  God's  gracious  covenant,  we 
behold  the  abounding  grace  of  the  gofpel. 

2.  We  learn  the  happy  privilege  of  behev- 
ing  parents.  God  has  made  with  them  an  ev- 
erlafting  covenant,  in  which  he  promifes  to  be 
their  God,  and  the  God  of  their  children. 
He  has  made  other  promifes  alfo  refpe6ting 
their  offspring.  Hence  the  believing  parent 
has  the  peculiar  privilege  of  prefenting  his 
children  to  the  Lord,  and  afking  him  to  be- 
llow on  them  covenant  bleffings. — When 
Chrift  \VaS  on  earth,  fome  brought  their  child- 
ren to  him,  that  he  might  bleis  them  and  make 
them  heirs  of  his  heavenly  kingdom.  This, 
we  may  conclude,  w^as  done  by  his  cordial 
friends,  or  by  thofe  who  regarded  Mm  as  the 
Mefliah.  For  if  they  did  not  view  him  as  the 
Mefiiah,  they  viewed  him  as  an  impoftor.  But 
they  would  not  afk  one,  whom  they  viewed 
an  impoftor,  to  blefs  their  children.  For  in 
their  own  view,  fuch  a  perfon  would  be  more 
likely  tobringa  curfe  upon  them  than  a  bleffi. 


[  23  ] 

Ing.  How  gracioufly  did  Chrift  receive  thefe 
children  ?  He  rebuked  thole  who  forbade 
them  to  be  brought ;  he  was  difpleafed  with 
them  and  faid,  "  Suffer  the  little  children  to 
come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not  ;  for  of 
fuch  is  the  kingdom  of  God."  He  then  took 
the  children  up  in  his  arms,  put  his  hands  5n 
them  and  blelTed  them.  How  precious 
is  the  privilege  of  believers,  that  they 
may  bring  their  children  to  Chrift  for  his  fpec- 
ial  blefling. — Unbelieving  parents  may  enjoy 
the  fame  precious  privilege,  when  they  repent, 
believe  in  Chrift,  and  enter  into  covenant  with 
G.od.  But  w^hile  they  refufe,  they  reject  God's 
covenant  and  all  its  precious  promifes.  They 
will  not  com.e  to  Chrift  that  they  may  have 
life  themfelves :  And  it  would  be  hypocrify 
for  them  to  pretend  to  bring  their  children  to 
him  for  his  bleffing,  while,  in  heart,  they  hate 
and  rejecl  him,  and  will  not  have  him  for  their 
Lord  and  Saviour. — Hence  we  learn, 

3.  That  it  is  the  immediate  duty  of  unbe- 
lieving parents  to  repent  and  enter  into  cov- 
enant with  the  Lord,  that  they  may  accepta- 
"bly  afk  him  to  blefs  their  children.  They  can- 
not do  this  acceptably,  if  they  do  not  repent 
and  believe.  But  when  they  repent  and  enter 
into  covenant  with  God,  they  are  interefted 
in  this  gracious  promife — I  will  be  a  God  unto 
thee  and  to  thy  feed.  Hence  let  every  parent 
feel  that  he  is  urged  by  the  infinite  weight  of 
the  divine  authority— by  the  precioufhefs  of 


the  foul — ^by  the  everlafting  worth  of  the  blelT- 
ings  of  God*s  gracious  covenant — and  by  all 
the  folemnities  of  the  final  judgment  and  the 
eternal  world,  to  repent  immediately,  and  en- 
ter into  covenant  with  God,  that  the  Lord 
may  be  a  God  to  him  and  to  his  children. 

4.  Impenitent,  unbelieving  parents  have 
reafon  to  indulge  many  painful  refleclions 
and  fears  refpecling  their  children.  As  fuch 
parents  rejed  God's  gracious  covenant  and 
exclude  themfelves  and  their  children  from  its 
faving  blefiings  ;  fo  they  may  greatly  fear  that 
their  children  will  finally  perifh.  If  your 
children  die  in  infancy  or  childhood,  where 
is  the  ground  of  your  hope  that  they  are  fav- 
ed,  if  you  rejed  God's  gracious  covenant,  by 
unbelief,  and  refufe  to  prefent  your  children 
to  the  Lord  for  his  covenant  bleffing  ?  It  is 
true  that  God  is  infinitely  merciful.  But  it 
is  your  duty  to  incHne  your  ear  and  come  un- 
to God,  that  he  may  make  an  everlafting 
covenant  with  you,  and  give  you  the  fure 
mercies  of  David.  It  is  alfo  your  duty,  after 
taking  hold  of  God's  covenant  by  faith,  to  look 
to  him  for  covenant  bleflings  on  your  offspring. 
This  is  peculiarly  your  duty,  feeing  you  have 
been  the  inftruments  of  their  commencing  an 
exiftence,  w^hich  will  never  end.  If  you  neg- 
lect your  duty,  can  you  juftly  exped  that  God 
will  have  mercy  on  your  children,  by  giving 
them  a  fpecial  intereft  in  his  gracious  cove- 
nant ?  If  they  die  without  a  fpecial  interefl  in 


C  25] 

this  covenant,  they  muil  finally  perifli.  They 
cannot  be  faved,  except  they  are  united  to 
Chrift,  and  fanclified  by  his  Spirit,  and  thus 
have  the  Lord  for  their  God.  If  you  there- 
fore neglect  a  plain  duty,  you  may  expech 
that  you  or  your  children,  or  both,  will  iuITcr 
for  it.  Your  neglect  of  this  gracious  cove- 
nant tends  to  ruin  yourfelf  and  your  dear  chil- 
dren. How  painful  then  may  be  your  reSec- 
tions !  And  hov/  diftrefiing  your  fears  that 
your  children  will  finally  perifh  in  confequence 
of  your  neglect  !  "  /,  the  Lord  thy  God,  am  a 
jealous  God,  vijiting  the  iniquity;  of  the  fathers  up- 
071  the  children^  unto  the  third  and  fourth  ge?:era' 
.tion  of  them  that  hate  me,^'' 

5.  Vv'^e  learn  that  children  are  in  a  nnfiil  and 
loft  fi.ate  and  need  God's  fovereign  grace. 
They  are,  naturally,  in  the  fame  lofl:  and  per- 
ifhing  ftate  with  their  parents,  and  need  the 
fame  fovereign  grace,  which  faves  their  par- 
ents. They  mufl  perifli,  if  they  be  not  fpec- 
ially  interefted  in  God's  everlafting  covenant 
of  grace,  and  faved  by  Chriil:.  This  is  evi- 
dent from  the  fpecial  provifion,  v;hich  he  has 
-made  for  them  in  his  gracious  covenant  with 
beheving  parents.  Buf  how  can  children  need 
to  be  faved  by  Chrifi:,  except  they  are  in  a 
ftate  of  moral  ruin  ?  For  all  who  are  faved  by 
Chrifi:,  are  fiived  entirely  by  rich  and  foverelg^i 
grace  ;  for  they  are  fmners,  jufi;ly  condemned 
by  God'siaw,  and  jufi:ly  deferve  e'ndlefo  mifery. 
e 


[26] 

How  can  your  children  be  faved  by  the  fpec- 
iai  grace  of  Chrift,  if  they  do  not  deferve  God's 
wrath  ?  If  they  may  not,  in  juftice,  be  left  to 
pcrifh,  how  can  they  be  the  objects  of  mere, 
fov^ereign  grace  ?  Where  is  the  propriety  of 
prefcnting  your  children  to  the  Lord  to  be 
iaved  by  his  grace,  if  you  do  not  believe  that 
they  are,  by  naturt-,  finful,  dead  in  fin^  and 
in  great  danger  of  being  loft  forever.  The 
whole  need  not  a  phyiician,  but  they  that  are 
fick.  Chrift  did  not  come  to  fave  the  pure 
^nd  holy,  but  the  iinful  and  perifiiing :  He 
came  to  feek  and  to  fave  that  which  was  loii:. 

The  word  of  God  teaches  us  that  children 
are  in  this  flate  of  mioral  ruin.  The  Apoftle, 
Rom.  v.  1 2,  coniiders  all.  on  whom  death  pafies, 
as  having  finned.  "  As  by  one  man  iin  enter- 
ed into  the  world,  and  death  by  fm  ;  and  fo 
death  pailed  upon  all  men,  for  that  all  have 
finned."  Eeath  pafles  upon  infants  as  well 
as  adults  ;  and  tlierefore,  according  to  the  A- 
poftle's  reafoning,  they  have  finned.  Their  be- 
ing vifited  with  pain  and  death  is  an  evidence 
that  they  are  finners  in  the  fight  of  God.  He 
evidently  treats  them  as  finners. 

"  By  one  man's  difobedicnce,  many  were 
made  finners."  Thefe  words  apply  to  infants 
as  well  as  to  any  others  of  this  fallen  world.  For 
it  is  abundantly  taught  in  Scripture,  that  all 
mankind,  in  their  natural,  unconverted  ftate, 
are  finners.  Hence  it  is  as  true  of  infants,  as 
of  any  others,  that  they  are  made  or  conflitut- 


C  27  ] 

ed  finners,  by  Adam's  oiTence.  And  hence  it 
is  faid,  "  I  was  fliapen  in  iniquity.'*  "  Who 
can  bring  a  clean  thins;  out  of  an  unclean  ? 
not  one. — The  wicked  are  efiranged  from 
the  womb  ;  they  go  aftray  as  foon  as  they  be 
born,  fpeaking  lies.  Their  poifon  is  the 
poifon  of  a  ferpent."  It  is  the  nature  of  the 
wicked  to  do  wickedly.  By  nature,  all  are 
the  children  of  wrath.  For  "  fooliihnefs," 
or  fin,  "  is  bound  in  the  heart  of  a  child.'' 
^^  The  heart  of  the  fons  of  men  is  full  of  evil," 
And  God  fays  that  the  imagination  of  man*s 
heart  is  evil  from  his  youth,  or  from  the  be- 
ginning of  hfe. 

If  it  be  faid  that  little  children  are  not  capa- 
ble of  being  linners  ;  It  may  be  replied,  that 
if  this  be  true,  they  are  not  capable  of  being 
holy.  For  it  requires  no  greater  natural  ca- 
pacity to  be  finful,  than  it  does  to  be  holy. 
And  to  deny  that  children  can  be  fmners  and 
be  loft,  is  to  deny  that  they  can  be  holy  and 
be  faved. 

If  it  be  further  faid  that  infants  are  pure 
and  hoiy,  becaufe  Chrifl  has  died  for  them  : 
It  may  be  replied,  that  notwithftanding  Chrifl 
has  died  and  ma,de  an  infinite  atonement,  yet 
all  are  dead  in  fm,  until  they  are  quickened  and 
created  anew  by  the  Spirit.  Children  mufl 
be  the  fubjeds  of  this  change  of  heart,  or  they 
will  forever  remain  fmners^  and  eternally  perifh. 

If  it  fhould  be  fuppofed  that  the  children  of 
believers  do  not  need  Chrift's  fpecial  grace,  be- 


[  ^-8  ] 

caufe  the  Apoftle,  in  I.  Cor.  vii.  calls  them  ho- 
ly :  It  may  be  obferved  that  both  the  children 
of  believers  and  unbelievers  are  born  in  the 
fame  ftate  of  moral  depravity  :  Both  are  alike 
dead  in  fin,  before  their  hearts  are  changed  by 
fovereign  grace.  It  is  in  relation  to  God's 
covenant,  and  promife,  and  fpecial  grace,  tliat 
the  children  of  believers  are  called  holy  ;  for 
his  covenant  peculiarly  refpeds  them,  and 
contains  a  promife  that  they  fhallbe  fanclified 
by  his  fpecial  grace,  if  their  parents  walk  before 
God  and  be  perfect. — Hence  believing  parents, 
in  view  of  thefe  things,  will  realize  the  finful 
and  ioil  condition  of  their  children,  and  deeply 
feel  that  they  muft  perifli  forever,  if  the  Lord 
does  not  confer  on  them  his  fpecial  grace. 

6.  It  is  the  duty  of  parents  to  dedicate  their 
chiiuren  to  the  Lord,  v;ith  a  purpofe  of  heart 
to  train  them  up  for  his  fervice  and  eternal 
kingdom.  God  requires  that  every  parent 
fliouid  imm.ediately  becomie  one  of  his  holy, 
covenant  people.  And  in  his  gracious  cove- 
nant, he  not  only  requires  that  parents  fhould 
be  v/hoiiy  devoted  to  him  ;  but  alfo  that  their 
children  iliould  be  dedicated  to  him,  to  be  his 
holy  people  forever.  Hence  we  muft  dedicate 
our  children  to  him,  to  be  entirely  his,  for 
time  and  eternity.  If  we  do  not,  how  can  we 
iincerely  afk  him  to  blefs  them,  and  make 
them  holy  ?  If  we  refufe  thus  to  dedicate  our 
children  to  him,  we  may  juflly  expect  that  he 


C  29  ] 

will  refufe  to  make  them  his  holy  people,  and 
to  be  their  God. 

This  dedication  implies  unconditional  fub- 
miffion  refpecling  our  children,  or  a  cordial 
acquiefcence  in  the  divine  purpofe  concerning 
them.  As  in  dedicating  ourfelves  to  the 
Lord — We  cordially  acquiefce  in  his  purpofe 
refpecHng  us  ;  are  willing  that  his  cotinfel 
fliould,  (land  and  that  he  fliould  do  all  his 
pleafure  ;  and  deliring,  above  all  things,  that 
he  may  be  glorified  :  So  in  truly  dedicating 
our  children  to  him — Our  hearts  are  in  harmo- 
ny with  God's  will  ;  our  greateft  deiire  is 
that  God  may  be  glorified ;  and  it  is  pleafing 
to  us  that  in  whatever  he  does  refpecling  our 
children,  he  will  be  actuated  by  a  fupreme  re- 
gard to  his  own  glory. 

God*s  promife  to  renew  and  fave  our  chil- 
dren, if  we  be  faithful,  does  not  render  this 
fubmiflion  unnecelfary.  For  it  wholly  de- 
pends on  God's  fovereign  pleafure,  v/hether 
wefhali  be  faithful  to  our  children.  God 
muft  work  in  us  both  to  Mall  and  to  do,  o£ 
his  good  pleafure,  and  enable  us  to  be  faithful, 
or  we  fhall  not  fecure  covenant  bleiiings  for 
them. 

If  we  truly  dedicate  our  children  to  God, 
we  fhall  be  refolved,  that,  by  divine  grace,  we 
will  train  them  up  for  him..  If  we  have  not 
fuch  a  purpofe  of  heart,  we  fhall  tempt  the 
Lord — we  fhall  pretend  to  look  to  him  for 
c  2 


C  30] 

his  blejQing  on  our  children,  while  difpofed  to 
r.egled  the  means  of  obtaining  it.  For  it  is 
only  in  the  faithful  difcharge  of  duty  to  our 
children,  that  we  can  reafonably  expect  his 
bleffing,  in  anfwer  to  our  prayers,  or  in  cove- 
nant failhfulnefs  to  us.  Not  that  we  need  to 
do  any  thing  to  merit  his  bleffing.  But  the 
faithful  difcharge  of  our  duty  is,  in  this  cafe 
efpecially,  a  neceffary  means  of  obtaining  it. 
Our  faith  does  not  merit  faivation  for  our- 
felves  :  But  yet  we  cannot  be  faved  without  it. 
— So  in  the  prefent  cafe,  the  Lord  bleffes  the 
faithfulnefs  of  parents  to  the  faving  good  of 
their  children.  Hence  we  muft  be  refolved  to 
be  faithful,  and  then  fulfil  our  refolution,  if  we 
would  hope  for  God's  bleffing. 

7.  It  is  the  duty  of  believing  parents  to  of- 
fer up  their  children  in  baptifm. 

It  cannot  be  denied,  that  God  did  exprefsly 
appoint  that  the  feal  of  the  righteoufnefs  of 
faith,  ihould  be  appHed  to  the  child  of  the  be- 
lieving parent,  as  well  as  to  the  believer.  It 
mufh  alfo  be  granted  by  every  candid  mind, 
that  this  divine  appointment,  refpefting  the 
children  of  believers,  ftill  continues,  unlefs 
God  has  fet  it  afide.  For  every  one  knows 
that  what  God  lias  once  appointed  to  be  per- 
formed by  his  covenant  people,  is  ftill  to  be 
performed  by  them,  if  he  has  not  ordered  to 
the  contrary. 

1  he  reafon  of  this  divine  appointment  was 
the  gTcicious  promiie  to  be  a  God  unto  the  be- 


C3'  ] 

lieving  parent  and  to  his  feed.  On  t"he  ground 
of  this  promife-,  Abraham  and  other  godly  par- 
ents were  required  to  put  the  feal  of  the  cove- 
nant upon  their  children,  as  really  as  upon 
themfelves.  But  the  fame  covenant,  as  to 
fpiritual  bleflings,  is  now  made  with  believers. 
God  now  promifes,  in  his  gracious  covenant 
with  the  believer,  to  be  a  God  unto  him  and 
to  his  feed. 

But  has  this  gracious  appointment  ever  been 
fet  afide  by  divine  authority,  fo  that  believers 
are  no  longer  required  to  apply  the  feal  of  the 
covenant  to  their  children  ?  Or  does  this  ap- 
pointment continue  under  the  gofpel  ? 

It  is  true  that  circumcilion,  literally,  has 
ceafed,  and  baptifm  has  been  inftituted.  Cir- 
cumciiion  was  a  feal  of  God's  gracious  cove- 
nant, in  which  he  promifed  to  be  a  God  to 
the  believer  and  to  his  feed — It  was  a  feal  of 
that  righteoufnefs,  on  account  of  which  the 
believer  is  juflined.  And  baptifm  does  not 
appear  to  be  a  facrament  or  feal  of  any  greater 
import.  On  the  contrary,  it  appears  from 
fcripture,  that  they  are  feals  of  the  fame  im- 
port, eifentially  ;  and  that  baptifm  under  the 
gofpel  anfwers  to  circumcifion  under  the  for- 
mer difpenfation. 

It  is  plain  that  circumcifion,  when  taken  in 
a  fpiritual  fenfe,  iignified  a  faving  change  of 
heart.  Deut.  x.  i6.  "  Circumcife  there- 
fore the  foreflkin  of  your  heart."  Jer.  iv.  4. 
"  Circumcife  yourfelves  tp  the  Lord,  and  take 


[    32] 

away  the  forefkins  of  your  heart/*  And  hence 
Mofes  fays,  Deut.  xxx.  6,  *^  And  the  Lord  thy 
God  fhall  circumcife  thine  heart  and  the  heart 
of  thy  feed,  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all 
thine  heart  and  with  all  thy  foul,  that  thou 
mayeft  live.*'  Hence  we  are  taught  that  an 
uncircumcifed  perfon,  in  a  fpiritual  fenfe,  is 
an  impenitent  iinner.  In  Ezek»  xhv.  7,  God 
complains  of  the  houfe  of  Ifrael  that  they  had 
brought  into  his  fancluary,  the  uncircumcifed 
in  heart  and  in  flefh.  And  therefore  he  fays, 
verfe9,  "Noftranger  uncircumcifed  in  hearty 
nor  uncircumcifed  in  flefh  iliall  enter  into  my 
fancluary.**  Agreeably  to  this,  the  Apoftle 
fays,  Rom.  ii.  28,  29,  '^  Neither  is  that  circum- 
ciiion  which  \s>  outward  in  the  fiefh  ;  but  cir- 
cumcifion  is  that  of  the  heart.** — It  is  hence 
plain  and  certain  that  a  great  thing  fignified  by 
circumcifion  was  a  change  of  heart.  But,  in 
this  refpecl,  baptifm  anfwers  to  circumcifion 
and  iignifies  the  fame  thing.  It  is  plainly 
taught  in  Col.  ii.  that  baptifm  Iignifies,  in  a 
fpiritual  fenfe,  being  made  alive  unto  God. 
"  Buried  with  him  in  Baptifm,  wherein  alfo 
ye  are  rifen  with  him  through  the  faith  of  the 
operation  of  God,  who  hath  raifed  him  from 
the  dead.  And  you,  being  dead  in  your  fins 
and  the  uncircumcifion  of  your  flefh,  hath  he 
quickened.'*  Hence  Peter  fays,  I.  Epift.  iii:. 
21,  that  "  baptifm  doth  now  fave  us,  not  the 
putting  away  the  filth  of  the  flefh,  but  the  an- 
fwer  of  a  good  confcience  towards  God-*'     And 


[  33  ] 

hence  a  perfon,  who  is-  not  baptized,  in  a  fpirit- 
ual  fenfe,  is  dead  in  (in  :  He  has  not  the  an- 
fwcr  of  a  good  conlcience  towards  God  :  He 
has  not  been  "  circumcifed  with  the  circum- 
ciiion  made  without  hands,  in  putting  ofFth« 
body  of  the  iins  of  the  flefh  by  the  circumciiion 
of  Chrift,"  by  being  "  buried  with  him  in 
baptifm/' — In  this  view  of  circumciiion  and 
baptifm,  they  exactly  agree,  and  point  to  the 
fame  thing— a  renovation  of  heart  by  the 
fpirit  of  God. 

God  required,  before  the  coming  of  Chrift, 
that  perfons  fliould  be  circumcifed  in  order  to 
be  the  fpiritual  feed  of  Abraham,  and  favingly 
interefted  in  God's  gracious  covenant.  Thofe 
who  were  circumciied  in  flelh  and  in  heart 
were  God's  holy  people. — It  is  now  required 
of  perfons  that  they  be  baptized.  "  He  that 
believeth  and  is  baptized  (hall  be  faved."  GaL 
iii.  27,  29.  As  many  of  you  as  have  been 
baptized  into  Chrift,  have  put  on  Chrift.  And 
if  ye  be  Chrifl's  then  are  ye  Abraham's  feed 
and  heirs  according  to  the  promife."  Hence 
the  Apoftle,  Col.  ii.  in  warning  his  chriilian 
brethren  to  beware  left  they  fhouM  be  carried 
away  from  the  gofpel,  aifures  themj:hat  their 
baptifm  anfwered  all  the  purpofes  of  circuni- 
ciiion,  fo  that  if  they  were  baptized  there  Vv^as 
no  necellity  of  being  circumcifed.  if  they 
were  baptized  and  had  the  great  thing  fignifi- 
ed  by  it,  they  v/ere  complete  in  Chrift,  and 
the  feed  of  Abraham  and  heirs  of  the  promife 
made  to  him,  without  being,  literally,  circum- 


[  34  J 

cifed  in  the  flefli,  Baptifm  is  therefore  of 
the  fame  import,  effentially,  with  circumcifioPx. 

We  have  further  evidence  of  this,  in  that 
baptifm  is  conned:ed  with  the  promife,  the 
fame  as  circumcifion  was.  Circumcilion  ftood 
conneded  with,  and  was  a  feal  of,  this  prom- 
ife, I  will  be  a  God  unto  thee  and  to  thy  feed. 
But  baptifm  alfo  ftands  connected  with  the 
fame  promife  under  the  gofpel.  Thus  Peter, 
in  preaching  the  gofpel  to  the  Jews,  to  whom 
the  great  promife,  made  to  Abraham,  pertain- 
ed, fays,  "  Repent  and  be  baptized  every  one 
of  you  in  the  name  of  Jefus  Chrift,  for  the  re- 
miilion  of  fins,  and  ye  fliall  receive  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghoft.  For  the  promife  is  unto 
you  and  to  your  children."  It  is  here  plain 
that  the  promife  to  penitent,  believing 
parents  and  their  children,  is  a  reafon  why 
they  fhould  be  baptized,  the  fame  as  the  prom- 
ife to  Abraham,  to  be  a  God  to  him  and  to 
his  feed,  was  a  reafon  why  they  Ihould  be  cir- 
cumcifed.  Hence  baptifm  is  a  feal  of  God's 
promife  as  much  as  circumcifion  was.  Cir- 
cumcifion was  a  feal  of  the  righteoufnefs  of 
faith  ;  and  confequently  baptifm  is  a  feal  of 
the  fame. 

Here  it  may  be  obferved  that  if  baptifm 
does  not  anfwer  to  circumcifion,  and  is  not  a 
feal  of  the  fame  import,  effentially,  then  the 
Jews  would  have  been  furnifhed  with  a  migh* 
ty  objecl:ion  againft  the  Apofi:les  :  They  might 
kave  faid  to  them-^*'  You  fet   afide  circuan- 


[35] 

Cifion,  a  feal  of  the  righteoufnefs  of  faith,  and 
what  is  there  which  comes  in  its  place,  or  is 
^qual  with  it  ?"  Conlidering  how  ready  the 
Jews  were  to  objecl,  and  that  they  never  made 
this  objeflion,  we  may  fafely  conclude  there 
never  \^as  occaiion  for  it ;  and  that  confe- 
qoiently  baptifm  is  a  feal  of  the  fame  import, 
efientially,  with  circum.cifion. 

In  Ezek.  xliv.  we  have  a  prophecy  of  gof- 
pel  times  ;  and  in  verfe  9,  we  are  aflured  that 
God's  holy  people,  who  are  gathered  from  the 
Gentiles,  fhall  be  circumciied  in  ftjh  under 
the  gofpel.  Hence  there  miift  be  a  vifible  or- 
dinance, under  the  gofpel,  anfwering  to  cir- 
cumcifion,  and  therefore  called,  figuratively, 
circumcifion.  This  can  be  no  other  than 
baptifm.  Hence  circumiciiion,  a  feal  of  the 
righteoufnefs  of  faith,  has  been  changed  to 
baptifm. 

But  nctwithftanding  this  change  of  the 
feal,  yet  God*s  appointment  refpecling  the 
children  of  believers  has  not  been  fet  aiide ; 
and  therefore  believers  are  now  required  to 
have  the  feal  put  upon  their  children.     For, 

Firji,  The  change  of  the  feal  does  not  alter 
the  reafon  of  the  appointment  to  apply  it  to 
the  children  of  beUevers.  The  children  of  the 
godly  were  to  have  the  feal,becaufe  the  prom- 
ife  ran  thus — I  will  be  a  God  unto  thee  and 
to  thy  feed.  But  this  promife  is  ftill  continu- 
ed to  the  godly.  Hence  there  is  the  fame 
reafon  for  believers  being  required  now   to 


[  36  ] 

have  the  feal  put  upon  their  children,  25  there 
was  when  this  appoint m<ent  was  firft  made  : 
There  is  alfo  the  fame  propriety  ;  for  the  cov- 
enant now  refpecls  the  children  of  believers,' 
in  the  fame  manner  as  it  before  did ;  they 
are  as  fit  fubjecls  of  baptifm,  as  they  were  of 
circumcifion  ;  and  they  are  as  capable  of  that 
change  of  heart  which  is  now  fignified  by  bap- 
tifm, as  they  were  of  tlie  fame  change,  when 
it  was  fignified  by  circumcifion. 

The  divine  appointment  to  apply  the  feal  of 
the  covenant  to  the  children  of  believers  is 
iimilar  to  the  appointment  of  the  fabbath. 
The  change  of  the  fabbath,  from  the  feventh 
to  the  firft  day  of  the  week,  neither  deftroyS' 
nor  alters  the  command  to  keep  one  day  in 
feven  as  a  fabbath  to  the  Lord.  Notwith- 
ftanding  this  change,  we  are  as  much  required 
to  remember  the  fabbath  and  keep  it  holy,  as 
the  Ifraelites  were.  The  change  of  the  day 
does  not  fet  afide  the  command ;  for  it  does 
not  alter  the  principal  reafon  of  its  being  given. 
So  it  is  with  refpe6l  to  the  feal  of  the  cove- 
nant :  The  appointment  to  apply  this  to  the 
feed  of  believers  is  not  fet  afide  nor  altered 
by  the  change  of  the  feal ;  for  this  change 
does  not,  in  the  leatt,  alter  the  reafon  why  it 
was  to  be  put  upon  the  children  of  the  believ- 
ing parent.  Hence  behevers  are  now  as  plain- 
ly required  to  have  their  children  baptized,  as 
they  are  to  remember  the  fabbath  and  keep 
-  it  holy. 


[  Z1  J 

Secondly,  The  bare  change  of  the  feal  docj 
not  infer  any  change  of  the  lubjecl  to  which  it 
is  to  be  applied.  And  efpeciaily  it  does  not 
infer  fuch  a  change  as  that  the  children  of  be- 
lievers fhould  be  excluded,  and  not  have  the 
feal,  when  they  are  as  fit  fubjecls  of  baptifm 
as  they  were  of  circumciiion.  Hence  the  bare 
change  of  the  feal  gives  no  evidence  that  it  is 
not  ftiil  to  be  applied  to  the  children  of  God's 
covenant  people.  But  the  bare  change  of  the 
feal  rather  implies  that  it  is  to  be  applied  to 
fuch  fubjecls  as  God  had  before  directed.  If 
this  be  the  meaning  of  Chrift's  v/ords,  Matt. 
xxviii.  1 9,  "  Go  ye,  therefore,  and  teach  all 
nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Gholt, 
in/icad  of  circumcijlng  than  ;"  (and  this  does  ap- 
pear to  be  his  meaning)  then  it  follows  that 
they  were  to  baptize  both  believing  parents 
and  tlieir  children,  except  he  gave  them  fome 
intimation  or  direction  to  the  contrary.  For 
the  Apoftles  well  knevv'  that  God  had  exprefii- 
,ly  appointed  that  both  believing  parents  and 
their  children  fhould  be  circumcifed,  and,  in 
this  v.a)',  have  the  feal  of  the  rightcoufnefs 
of  faith.  And  they  might  juftly  luppofe  that 
this  appointment  refpeding  the  children  of 
believers  is  to  continue  under  the  gofpel,  un- 
lefs  he  told  ihcm  otherwife.     But, 

Thirdly,     Neither  Chriil  nor    his  Apoflles 
ever  intimated    that  this   appointment  is  not 

D 


C  38] 

to  continue  under  the  gofpel.     For  nearly  two 
thoufand  years,  God's  people,  by  his  exprefs 
direclian,  had  applied  the  feal  of  the  covenant 
of  grace,  and  of  the  righteoufnefs  of  faith,  to 
their    children.     If  this    divine  appointment 
were  to  ceafe  at  the   con^.mencement  of  the 
gofpel  difpenfation,  it  was  a  very   interefting 
affair ;  and  if  fo  great  an   alteration  were  to 
take  place  refpecling  the  children  of  God's  cov- 
enant peopk,  it  was  neceilary  that  Chrift  and 
his  Apoftles  fhould  be  explicit  and  definite  on 
the  fubjecl.     But  neither  Chrift  nor  his  Apof- 
tles  ever  intimated  that  God's  covenant  peo- 
ple ihould  no  longer  be  required  to  put  the 
feal   of  the   covenant    upon  their    children. 
They  never  faid  nor  even  intimated  that  this 
divine  appointment  had  ceafed,  or  was  to  ceafe 
under  the  gofpel.     They  never  intimated  this, 
by  forbidding  believing  parents  to  have  their 
children    baptized. — Nor  did  they   ever  inti- 
ir.ate  this,  by  laying  that  the  children  of  be- 
lievers did  not  ftand  in  the  fame  relation    to 
God's   covenant,  as  that    in  which  they  had 
ftood  before. — Nor    did  they   ever   intimate 
this,  by  any  thing  which  they  faid  about  the 
qualifications  of  perfons,  who  fliould  be  admit- 
ted to  baptifm.  For  when  they  required  perfons 
to  repent  and  believe  before  they   were   bap- 
tized, they  had  no  reference  to  the  little  chil- 
dren of  believing  parents,   but  meant  adult 
perfons.     And   in   requiring  repentance  and 
faith  of  adults  before  baptifm,  they  did  not 


C  39  ] 

differ  in  the  leaft  from  the  tenor  of  the  cove- 
nant with  Abraham.  For  Abraham  was  a  be- 
liever when  this  covenant  was  made  with  him, 
and  when  he  appUed  its  ieal  to  himfelf  and  to 
the  males  of  his  houfehold.  Adult  perfons 
were  as  much  required  by  that  covenant  to 
repent  and  believe  before  they  were  circumcif- 
ed  ;  as  adult  perfons  Vv^ere  required  by  the  A- 
poftles  to  repent  and  believe  before  they  were 
baptized. — Finally,  Chrift  and  his  Apollks 
never  taught  that  God's  appointment  to  put 
the  feal  of  the  covenant  upon  the  chiUren  of 
believers  v/as  to  ceafe  under  the  gofpel,  by  any 
thing  which  they  faid,  about  the  ceafmg  of  the 
levitical  difpenfation.  For  this  appointment 
did  not  begin  with  that  difpenfation.  It  was 
notofMofes,  originally,  but  of  the  fathers. 
It  was  a  part  of  that  covenant,  v/nich  was  not 
annulled  nor  altered  by  the  law  given  at 
Mount  Sinai,  or  the  rites  and  ceremonies  then 
inftituted.  So  that  this  appointment  would 
continue,  when  thofe  rites  and  ceremonies 
ceafed,  except  it  was  exprefsly  mentioned  as 
being  at  an  end :  But  this  was  never  done. 
What  the  Apoftles  faid  againft  circumcifion 
was  not  againft  the  div^ine  appointment  to  put 
the  feal  upon  the  children  of  believers,  but 
againft  that  abufe  of  circumcifion,  which  vv-as 
made  by  the  felf-righteous  Jews,  after  baptifm 
had  taken  the  place  of  circumcifion. — Hence, 
as  neither  Chrift  nor  his  Apoftles  faid  or  did 
any  thing  to   fet   afide  this     divine  appoint- 


[4o3 

TTient  to  apply  the  feal  of  the  covenant  to  the 
children  of  the  godly,  it  is  evident  that  it  is 
continued  under  the  gofpel. 

Fourthly,  We  have  poiitive  evidence  of  this, 
in  what  the  Apoftles  faid  and  did. 

This  divine  appointment,,  to  put  the  feal  of 
the  covenant  upon  the  children  of  believers, 
is  implicitly  eftablillied  under  the  gofpel,  by 
what  the  i:\poii:le  fays  of  believers'  being  graff- 
ed  into  the  good  olive  tree,  and  partaking  of 
its  root  and  fatnefs,  and  fo  being  bielTed  with 
faithful  Abraham*  This  being  the  cafe,  it 
naturally  follows  that  believers  are  now  to  put 
the  leal  of  the  covenant  upon  their  children, 
feeing  God  has  not  fet  alide  this  appointment. 

But  the  Apoille  more  directly  eilabliilies  this 
appointment,  by  faying,  I.  Cor.  vii.  14, 
*•  Elfe  v/ere  your  chiklren  unclean,  but  now 
;ire  they  Iioly/*  Thefe  words  exprefs  a  great 
diftindion  between  the  children  of  a  believing 
parent,  and  the  children  whofe  parents  are 
both  unbelievers.  This  diftinclion  is  iimilar 
to  Vv'hat  took  place  in  the  covenant  v/ith  Abra- 
ham. There  the  like  diftinccion  v/as  made 
between  the  children  of  the  godly  and  of  the 
ungodly,  of  thofe  v/ho  entered  into  covenant 
with  God,  and  of  thofe  who  did  not.  As  this 
diftinccion  continues  under  the  gofpel,  and 
the  children  of  the  believer  are  holy,  as  they 
were  before  the  coming  of  Chrift  ;  hence  it 
evidently  follovv^s  that  thefe  children  are  to  be 
treated  as  being  holy,  according  to  God's  pre- 


[41   1 

▼ious  direclion — that  is,  the  feal  of  the  cove- 
nant is  to  be  put  upon  them.  If  this  be  not 
done,  they  will  be  treated  as  unclean,  and  not 
as  being  holy. 

In  this  connection,  the  words  of  Peter,  Acls 
ii.  are  fuorsrefted  for  our  confideration.  Beins* 
aiked  by  perfons  under  conviction,  What  they 
fliould  do  to  be  faved,  he  anfwered,  "  Repent 
and  be  baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the  name 
of  Jefus  Chrift,  for  the  remiilion  of  hns,  and 
ye  IhaU  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghoft* 
For  the  promife  is  unto  you,  and  to  your  chil- 
dren, and  to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many 
as  the  Lord  our  GqJ  fhall  call/'  Peter  was 
then  preaching  the  gofpel  and  addrelling  thofe 
who  were  well  acquainted  with  the  great 
promife — "  To  be  a  God  unto  thee  and  to 
thy  feed,"  which  was  made  to  Abraham  and 
continued  to  the  godly  after  him,  from  genera- 
tion to  generation.  His  hearers  were  accuilom- 
ed  to  conlider  the  promife  of  the  covenant  as 
comprehending  the  children  of  the  godly;  what 
then,  in  their  view,  would  be  the  plain  im- 
port of  his  words,  "  The  promife  is  to  yoa  and 
to  your  children  ?"  Hov/  would  they  be  moft 
likely  to  underftand  him  ?  His  phrafeology  is 
very  iimilar  to  that  in  Gen.  xvii.  7,  and  more 
evidently  refers  to  it,  than  to  any  other  par- 
ticular paffage  in  the  Old  Teftament.  Could 
they  underftand  him  as  teaching  a  fentiment, 
which  was  directly  contrary  to  the  promiie  to 
D  2 


[  42  3 

Abraham  and  to  many  after  him,  concerning 
the  children  of  the  godly  ?  Or  mufl  they  un- 
deriland  him  as  teaching  that  the  precious 
promife  to  Abraham,  is  continued  under  the 
gofpel  to  parents  who  have  the  faith  of  Abra- 
ham, to  be  a  God  unto  them  and  to  their 
children  ?  He  urges  them  to  repent  and  be 
baptized  every  one  of  them,  by  faying,  "  For 
the  promife  is  unto  you  and  to  your  chil- 
dren." Hence  the  plain  import  of  his  words 
is  this,  The  promife  is  unto  you  and  to  your 
children,  on  condition  you  repent  and  com- 
ply v/ith  God's  requirements.  This  is  exactly 
iimilar,  in  fenfe  and  fubilance,  with  the  cove- 
nant with  Abraham.  And  his  concluding 
words  may  juftly  convey  the  fame  idea^  and 
plainly  teach  that  the  fame  promife  is  to  all  that 
are  afiir  off,  even  Gentiles,  whom  God  fhall  ef- 
fe<5lually  call,  and  to  their  children.  This 
fenfe  of  the  v/ords  is  not  contradidled,  but 
flipported  by  the  whole  tenor  of  Scripture  on 
this  fubjecl. 

As  Peter  taught  the  Jews,  that  the  promife 
of  God's  covenant,  under  the  gofpel,  refpecls 
believing  parents  and  their  children,  it  would 
naturally  follow,  that  children  were  to  be  ad- 
mitted to  baptifm  with  their  parents  in  the 
fame  manner  as  the  children  of  the  godly  v/ere 
to  be  ciixumcifed,  as  well  as  their  parents,  be- 
canfe  the  promife  refpected  both.  Here  chil- 
dren are  placed  in  the  fam.e  relation  to  bap- 
tifm, as  they  wt^rc  to  circumciiion.  Gen.  xvii* 


[43] 

7,  9?  ^^'  P'lrents  and  their  children  are  unit- 
ed in  each  promife — To  be  a  God  unto  thee  and 
to  thy  feed :  The  promife  is  unto  you  and  to  your 
children.  The  promife  in  each  place  has  a  di- 
vine ordinance  connecled  with  it — circum- 
cifion,  in  one  place  ;  and  baptifm,  in  the  other. 
In  both  places,  the  ordinance  refults  from  the 
promife— or  the  promife  is  mentioned  as  the 
reafon  of  the  ordinance.  In  Gen.  xvii.  9, 
God  fays,  "  Thou  fhalt  keep  my  covenant 
therefore^''  that  is,  becaufe  of  the  promife — To 
be  a  God  unto  thee  and  to  thy  feed.  "  Every 
man  child  among  you  fliall  be  circumcifed  : 
And  ye  fhall  circumcife  the  flefh  of  your  fore- 
fkin."  So  here  Peter  fays,  "  Repent  and  be 
baptized  every  one  of  you,  for^'*  or,  becaufe^ 
"  the  promife  is  unto  you  and  to  your  chil- 
dren." As  the  children  of  believers  ftand  in 
the  fame  relation  to  the  promife,  now  baptifm 
is  the  feal,  as  they  did  when  circumciiion  was 
the  feal ;  fo  they  are  now  to  be  baptized,  as 
they  were  before  to  be  circumcifed. 

That  Peter  taught  "the  Jews  that  penitent, 
believing  parents  are  to  have  their  children 
baptized,  is  further  confirmed  by  this — He  did 
not  teach  that  fach  parents  were  no  longer  re- 
quired to  put  the  feal  of  the  covenant  upon 
their  children  :  As  he  did  not  teach  this,  it  is 
plain  that  he  implicitly  taught  the  contrary- — 
viz.  that  believing  parents  are  ftill  required  to 
put  the  feal  on  their  children.  For  this  had 
been  exprefsly  required  of  them  \  and  as  Peter 


C  44  ] 

did  not  fet  afide  this  requirement,  in  his  direc- 
tions about  baptifm,  fo  it  is  plain  that  he  im- 
plicitly eflabliihed  its  continuance  under  the 
gofpel. 

The  duty  of  believers  to  have  their  children 
baptized,  is  further  evident  from  the  practice 
of  the  Apoftles. — In  obedience  to  Chrift's 
command,  they  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghoft, 
inftead  of  circumcifmg.  It  appears  that  they 
applied  baptifm  to  the  fame  fubjecls,  as  thofe 
to  whom  God  had  directed  circumciiion  to  be 
applied,  with  this  difference  only,  that  females 
were  baptized,  when  only  males  were  circum- 
cifed. 

The  Apoftles  proceeded  according  to  the 
tenor  of  the  covenant  with  Abraham  in  requir- 
ing the  Eunuch,  the  Jailor,  and  Lydia  to  be- 
lieve, before  they  were  baptized.  The  Apof- 
tles likewife  proceeded  according  to  what  was 
required  in  that  covenant,  in  admitting  the 
houfeholds  of  Lydia  and  the  Jailor  to  baptifm. 
Here  we  have  politive  proof  of  the  baptifm  of 
houfeholds  ;  and  we  have  no  evidence  that 
any  had  faith,  except  Lydia  and  the  Jailor. 
On  the  contrary  we  have  evidence  that  thefe 
were  the  only  perfons  who  believed,  in  thefe 
houfeholds. — Lydia  plainly  intimates  that  flie 
was  the  only  believer  in  her  family,  in  faying 
to  the  Apoftles,  after  flie  and  her  houfehold 
were  baptized,  "  If  ye  have  judged  me  to  be 
faithful  to  the  Lord,  come  into  my  houfe  and 


C  45  ] 

'abide  there."  She  does  not  fay,  If  ye  have 
judged  us  or  all  my  houfehold  to  be  faithful : 
But  would  fhe  not  have  done  it,  if  all  had  be- 
lieved ?  feeing  fhe  was  a  humble  believer,  had 
experienced  the  marveKous  grace  of  God  in 
her  own  foul — and  was  difpofed  to  notice  and 
extol  this  grace  in  others  ? — In  the  account  of 
the  Jailor,  it  is  taught  ih  the  Greek,  in  which 
language,  the  account  was  firil  written,  that 
he  was  the  only  believer  in  his  family.  The 
account  is  not  this,  in  the  original,  that  all  his 
houfe  believed  with  him  :  But  it  is  this,  lie 
rejoiced  in  every  part  of  his  houfe,  or  over  ail 
his  houfe,  be  having  believed  in  God.  The 
having  believed,  here  mentioned,  is  confined 
to  the  Jailor,  being  a  participle  in  the  lingular 
number. 

It  may  be  further  noticed  in  the  account  of 
the  Jailor,  that  the  Apoftles  did  not  bap- 
tize all  in  his  houfe  :  They  preached  the  gofpel 
to  all  in  his  houfe  ;  but,  on  his  believing,  they 
baptized  him  and  alibis  only.  This  fhew^s  that 
they  proceeded  according  to  the  tenor  of  the 
covenant  with  A])rahani,  which  fo  eonnecLed 
a  man's  houfehold  with  bimfelf,  as  that  both 
were  to  have  the  feal  of  the  covenant. 

As  to  the  proof  in  fuppcrt  of  infant  baptifm, 
it  is  of  no  confequence,  whether  thofe  who 
were  baptized  in  thefe  families,  v/ere  infants 
or  children  of  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age,  or 
children  and  young  perfons,  whom  Lydia  and 
the  Jailor  had  taken  into  their  family  and  un- 


[  46  ] 

der  th^  particular  care.  For  in  either  cafe, 
the  baptifm  of  thefe  perfons,  on  the  faith  of 
the  head  of  the  family,  is  conclufive  proof  that 
believers  are  required,  under  the  gofpel,  to 
have  their  children  baptized. 

ThiTOroof  receives  additional  flrength  from 
this  fact — The  univerfal  practice  of  adminifter- 
ing  baptifm  to  the  children  of  believers,  in  all 
the  churches,  which  were  founded  by  the 
Apoftles.  This  facl  is  fully  eftabliihed  by  the 
hiftory  of  the  church,  and  it  clearly  proves 
that  the  Apoftles  did  enjoin  it  on  believing  par- 
ents. This  fact  can  be  accounted  for  in  no 
other  way,  but  by  admitting  that  it  owed  its 
origin  to  apoftolic  authority.*  Hence  we  have 
the  authority  of  the  word  of  God,  the  author- 
ity of  Chriil:  and  his  Apoftles,  in  faying  that 
believing  parents  are  now  required  to  apply 
the  feal  of  God's  covenant  to  their  children, 
by  having  them  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghoft. 

8.  Let  me  earneftly  caution  parents  againft 
doubting  the  utility  of  having  their  children 
baptized. 

We  may  humbly  inquire  into  the  reafon, 
why  the  children  of  believers  are  to  be  bap- 
tized, and  into  the  utility  of  it.  But  we  may 
not  refufe  to'  have  our  children  baptized,  by 

*  The  candid  reader  may  receive  full  fatisfadlon  on 
this  point,  by  confulting  Dr.  WalPs  Hillory  of  Infant 
Baptifm»  or  Dr.  Lathrop's  Sermons  on  Baptifm,  with 
Mr.  Perkins'  Letters  annexed. 


C  47  ] 

iitnply  aiking,  "What  good  can  it  do  ?  Abra- 
ham would  not  have   been  excufed  from  cir- 
cumcifmg    his  infant  feed  by  afking,  "  What 
good  can  it  do,  to  have  the  bloody  ordinance 
of  circumcifion    performed  on  an    infant,  at 
eight     days     old  r"     On    God's   command- 
ing it,  he  was  bound  to  obey,  and  readily  cir- 
cumcife  not   only  himfelf,  but  alfo  hfs   houfe- 
hold  :  He   had  no  right  to  afk  in  an  unbeliev- 
ing, difobedient  manner,  What  good  can  it  do? 
— ^Perhaps  Zipporah,  the  Wife  of  Mofes,  reaf- 
oned  in  this  way.     When  Mofes  fuggefted  any 
thing  about  circumcifing  his  fon^  Ihe    might 
fay,  "  What  good  can    it  do,  to  put  the    dear 
babe  to   fo   much   pain,  as   to  perform  this 
bloody  ordinance    upon   it  ?  Surely  God  can 
blefs  it,  if  it  be  not  circumcifed.     A  bloody  huf- 
hand  thou  art^  hecaufe  of  the  circumcifion,^^     Mo- 
fes probably  hearkened  to  his  wife  ;  and  out 
of  complaifance  to  her,  he  neglected  a   plain 
command.     He  did  not  put  the  feal  of  the  cov- 
enant upon  his  child,  as  God  had  appointed. 
But  God  was  difpleafed  and  fought  to  kill  him 
for  this  neglect.     By  his  neglect  the  covenant 
was  broken,  and  his  child  was  likely  to  be  ex- 
cluded from  covenant  bleflings  and  privileges. 
Saint  Paul  fuggefted  to  his  brethren  at  Co- 
rinth, the  neceflity   of  great   circumfpedion 
and  watchfulnefs,  left  Satan  fhould  get  an  ad- 
vantage of  them,  and  intimated  that  he  is  art- 
ful in  his  devices  to  impofe  on  the  children  of 
God.     May  I  not  then  obferve,  by  way  of 


C  48  ] 

caution,  that  you  ought  not  to  be  furprizeci 
if  you  fhouid  be  foUcited  and  tempted  to  neg- 
lecc  the  baptifm  of  your  children.  Satan  has 
various  ways  to  ruin  precious  fouls.  This 
may  be  one  very  fuccefsful  way  to  fohcit  par- 
ents to  neglecl  their  duty  to  their  children. 
To  accomplilh  this  purpofe,  he  may  fuggeil  to 
pious  perfons  that  children  have  not  faith,  and 
therefore  it  will  be  an  abomination  to  admit 
them  to  the  ordinance  of  baptifm.  And  muck 
more  of  the  like  kind,  he  mav  fuQ:g^eft,  and  in 
this  way  lead  them  to  conftrue  feme  parts  of 
the  Scripture  very  wrongly.  This  is  doing 
no  more  than  he  did  in  tempting  Chrift.  If 
he  can  prevail  on  parent§  to  neglecl  this  duty 
of  having  their  children  baptized,  he  will  very 
probably  prevail  on  them  to  neglecl  other  du- 
ties connected  with  it.  In  this  way,  he  may 
greatly  injure,  if  not  ruin  their  childreuo  As 
chriftians  are  fanclified  but  in  part,  they  are 
in  danger  of  llftening  to  the  fuggeftions  of  the 
great  Adverfary,  without  being  aware  of  it. 
Thus  did  Peter,  Matt.  xvi.  22,  23. 

But  will  you  liften  to  the  fuggellions  of  the 
great  Adverfary  f  Will  you  do  any  thing, 
which  {hall  tend  to  ruin  your  dear  offspring  f 
Do  you  not  ardently  deiire  their  falvation  ? 
Do  you  not  deiire  that  they  may  fhare  with 
you  in  the  bieffings  of  God*s  everlafiing  cov- 
enant ?  Be  entreated  then  to  receive  it  as  a 
faithful  faying,  that  God  has  made  fpecial  pro- 
vifion  in  his  covenant  for  the  children  of  the 


[49  ] 

believing  parent ;  and  that,  in  token  of  this, 
he  has  appointed  that  thefe  children  fhall  have 
the  feal  of  his  covenant.  It  is  a  divine  ap- 
pointment, and  confequently,  a  divine  require- 
ment that  believers  put  the  feal  of  the  covenant 
upon  their  children.  Is  not  this  fufficient  to 
remove  all  the  fuggeftions  and  objedions  of 
Satan  and  our  unbelieving  hearts. 

A  right  application  of  this  feal  to  your  ofT- 
fpring  may  be  to  their  everlafling  benefit. 
The  feal  is  God's  ;  and  it  feals  covenant  biefl- 
ings,  to  your  child,  to  whom  it  is  rightly  ap- 
plied, on  condition  you  are  faithful.  If,  by 
divine  grace,  you  are  faithful  and  bring  up 
your  children  in  the  nurture  and  admonition 
of  the  Lord,  God  will  fulfil  his  gracious  prom- 
ife,  to  pour  his  Spirit  upon  your  feed,  and  bis  hlejp 
ing  upon  your  offsprings  and  in  this  way  make 
them  his  holy  people  and  be  their  God. 

But  will  it  be  no  injury  to  your  dear  chil- 
dren, for  you  to  reject  God's  gracious  ap- 
pointment, and  refufe  to  have  his  promife,  re- 
fpecUng  them,  fealed  by  their  baptifm  ?  What 
is  this,  but  rejecting  God's  gracious  promife, 
to  be  a  God  to  your  children  ?  Would  you 
not,  in  this  way,  practically  deny  that  God 
has  made  fpecial  provifion  for  the  children  of 
his  covenant  people  ?  Is  it  not  excluding  them 
from  the  privileges  and  blefUngs  of  God's  cov- 
enant, to  refufe  to  have  them  baptized  ?  Does 
not  God  declare  the  fame,  in  faying  that  the 

£ 


[  5°  ] 

child  to  whom  the  feal  is  not  applied,  fliall  be 
cut  off  from  his  people  ?  In  being  cut  off  from 
his  people,  muil  it  not  lofe  a  Ihare  in  their  cov- 
enant bleflings  and  privileges  ? — As  it  is  a 
practical  rejection  of  the  Saviour,  to  neglect  the 
ordinance  of  the  Supper  ;  fo  to  neglect  the 
baptifm  of  children  is  a  practical  rejection  of 
that  gracious  promife  which  is  fealed  ty  their 
baptifm. 

In  this  connection,  it  may  be  obferved,  that 
in  places,  w^here  there  have  been  fpecial  revi- 
vals of  religion,  more  have  been  hopefully  con- 
verted of  thofe  who  had  pious  parents,  and 
were  baptized  in  infancy  or  childhood,  than 
of  thofe  who  were  not  thus  baptized.  This  is 
agreeable  to  the  intimations  of  God's  word ; 
and  ihews  us  that  he  honors  his  own  inftitu- 
tion.  This  fad  teaches  us  that  baptifm  is  a 
7neans  of  faving  good  to  the  children  of  believ- 
ers. Baptifm  alone  will  not  fave  a  child  ;  but 
when  it  is  duly  performed,  and  the  parental  du- 
ties connected  with  it, are  faithfully  difcharged, 
it  is  a  means  of  the  child's  eternal  falvation. 

Will  it  not  then  manifeft  great  ingratitude 
to  rejed  God's  gracious  appointment,  or  re- 
fufe  to  have  your  children  baptized  ?  Can  you 
fo  flight  God's  grace,  as  to  deprive  your  dear 
children  of  this  precious  privilege  ?  By  do- 
ing this,  you  will  greatly  flight  the  love  and 
grace  of  the  bleffed  Jefus.  He  is  ready  to  re- 
ceive and  blefs  you  and  your  children,  on 
your  coming   to   him,  and  prefenting  your 


[51  3 

children  to  him,  as  he  direcls.  How  can  you 
refufe  to  do  it  ?  Is  it  not  infinitely  important 
that  they  fliould  have  his  blefling  ?  or  a  faving 
intereft  in  God's  gracious  covenant  ?  If  they 
have,  they  will  be  faved  from  tJie  wrath  to 
come — from  endlefs  mifery  ;  and  be  brought 
to  heaven  to  the  paradife  of  God,  and  enjoy 
endieis  felicity.  You  cannot  efkem  this  a 
trifling  confideration.  See  then  that  you  cor- 
dially embrace  this  everlafting  covenant :  And 
fee  that  your  dear  children  have  its  precious 
feal,  by  being  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghoft.     AMEN. 


DISCOURSE  II. 


EPHESIANS,  vi.  4. 

But  bring  tbem  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition 
of  the  Lord, 

THESE  words  are  addrcfled  to  parents, 
and  exprefsly  require  them  to  bring  up 
their  children  in  the  fear  of  God. 

In  confidering  this  duty,  as  it  is  here  incul- 
cated, we  muft  carefully  attend  to  the  import 
of  the  expreilion — In  the  nurture  and  admonition 
of  the  Lord. — This  expreffion  has  two  parts, 
which  may  be  feparately  confidered. 

I.  Parents  are  required  to  bring  up  their 
children  in  the  nurture  of  the  Lord. 

This  requirement  implies  that  the  Lord  has 
made  fome  gracious  provifion  for  the  religious 
education  of  children.  For  the  word,  nurture, 
fignifies  food  or  nouriihment,  and  inftitution. 
And  what  can  this  nurture  be,  but  the  prom- 
ifes,  he  has  given,  and  the  means  he  has  infti- 
tuted,  by  which  to  train  up  children  in  the 
fear  of  God. 

A  part  of  the  nurture  of  the  Lord,  con/ifts 
in  the  gracious  prornifes   which  he  makes  to 

E  2 


[54] 

his  lioly  people.  He  promifes  every  believ- 
ing parent,  To  be  a  God  unto  him  and  to  his 
feed.  On  the  ground  of  this  promife,  believ- 
ers are  the  bleiTsd  of  the  Lord  and  their  ofF- 
fpring  with  them.  God's  covenant  of  grace 
prefents  to  believers  a  promife  of  fpiritual  and 
living  blellings  for  their  children.  They  are 
to  take  hold  of  this  promife  by  faith,  and  look 
to  the  Lord  to  blefs  their  offspring.  It  is  by  a 
conftant  reliance  on  this  promife  for  all  need- 
ed grace,  both  for  themfelves  and  their  chil- 
dren, that  they  can  bring  up  their  children  to 
love  and  ferve  God.  Parents  need  large  fup- 
pHes  of  this  grace  to  enable  them  to  be  faith- 
fuL  Without  this  grace,  they  cannot  walk 
before  God  and  be  perfect :  Nor  can  they,  with- 
out this  grace,  be  faithful  in  prayer  for 
their  children,  and  in  inftrucling  and  com- 
manding them  by  precept  and  example.  But 
this  grace  is  abundantly  fufficient  for  parents. 
It  is  alfo  fufficient  for  their  children.  For  it 
can  change  their  hearts,  and  make  them  God's 
holy  people.  In  this  v/ay,  the  faithfulnefs  of 
parents  is  made,  by  God's  grace,  to  iffue  in  the 
converfion  and  falvation  of  their  children.  It 
is  in  the  belief  and  right  ufe  of  this  promife, 
that  parents  bring  up  their  children  in  the 
fear  of  Gcd.  Without  this  great  promife  and 
others  which  grow  out  of  it,  belie\ang  par- 
ents would  fink  into  difcouragement,  and  def- 
pair  p£  ever  training  up  their  children  for 
God*s  fervice  and  kingdom..     But  a  believing 


[55] 

reliance  on  this  promife  would  excite  them  to 
be  faithful  in  duty  ;  and  to  hope  that  God,  of 
his  rich  and  abundant  mercy,  will  blefs  their 
children. 

Another  part  of  the  nurture  of  the  Lord 
conlifts  in  the  means  which  he  has  appointed.. 
— Of  thefe  means,  the  ordinance  of  baptifm 
may  be  firft  confidercd. 

Baptifm  is  a  facrament  of  divine  appoint- 
ment :  It  is  a  feal  of  God's  gracious  covenant, 
and  a  pledge  of  his  faith fulnefs.^  It  feals  God's 
gracious  covenant,  in  which  he  promifes  the 
believer  to  be  his  God,  and  the  God  of  his  feedj 
to  whom  it  is  applied.  In  this  view,  baptifm 
w^ll  ftrengthen  and  confirm  the  faith  of  the 
believer  in  the  divine  promife.  On  having 
his  child  baptized,  he  will  feel  that  God's  cov- 
enant of  promife  has  been  fealed  with  refpect 
to  the  child  ;  and  that  he  may  now  look  to 
God  for  covenant  bleffings  for  it.  The  bap- 
tifm of  his  children  will  therefore  quickea 
and  animate  him  in  teaching  them  the  fear 
of  God.  He  may  alfo  realize  more  fenfibly 
his  own  obligations  to  be  faithful.  Hence  the 
baptifm  of  his  children  may  be  of  great  ufe  to 
excite  him  to  perfevere  in  faithful  exertions  to 
train  them  up  in  the  way  of  wifdom. 

As  God  now  promifes  the  believing  parent 
to  be  his  God  and  the  God  of  his  feed,  and 
requires  that  the  feal  of  the  covenant  be  put 
upon  them  ;  fo  God  may  fay  of  the  unbaptiz- 
cd  child  of  the  believer,  as  he  did  of  the  uneir» 


E56] 

cumcifed  man-child — That  foul  Jhall  he  cut  off 
from  his  people  ;  he  hath  broken  my  covenant. 
As  the  feal  of  the  covenant  is  not  applied  to 
the  unbaptized  child,  the  covenant  is  not  feal- 
ed  and  ratified,  but  broken,  with  refped  to 
this  child.  Hence  the  parent  muft  take  care 
that  this  feal  is  duly  applied  to  his  children,  if 
he  defires  the  Lord  to  make  them  his  holy 
people  and  be  their  God.  If  he  neglect  this 
duty,  if  he  refufe  to  have  God's  covenant  feal- 
ed  by  their  baptifm,  he  takes  a  method  to  ex- 
clude them  from  all  the  benefits  and  bleilings 
of  this  covenant :  He  rejeds  an  important  part 
of  the  nurture  of  the  Lord,  or  of  the  gracious 
provi/ion,  which  he  has  made  for  the  children 
of  his  holy  people.  How  then  can  he  exped 
God's  bleffing  on  his  children  ? 

Further  :  The  gofpel  and  the  throne  of 
grace  furnilh  important  means  for  the  religious 
benefit  of  children. — The  gofpel  contains  very 
precious  truths.  Thefe  are  the  proper  food 
of  the  foul.  Every  one,  who  is  renewed  in 
the  temper  of  his  mind,  defires,  as  a  new  born 
babe,  the  fincere  milk  of  the  word,  that  he 
may  grow  thereby.  Children  muft  be  faith- 
fully taught  thefe  truths  ;  if  they  be  not,  they 
cannot  be  brought  up  in  the  nurture  of  the 
Lord.  They  muft  be  early  taught  that  there 
is  a  God — that  he  is  a  Being  of  infinite  per- 
fection and  glory,  one  God  in  three  equal  Per- 
fons — that  he  is  to  be  loved  with  all  the  heart, 
and  obeyed  in  all  things-— that  his  law  is  holy. 


I  57  ] 

juft,  and  good,  in  requiring  perfeft  love  of  ev- 
ery one,  and  threatening  endlefs  mifery  for 
every  offence — that  all  by  nature  are  iinners, 
and  juftly  condemned,  by  this  law,  to  endlefs 
mifery — that  God  has  freely  given  his  Son  to 
fulfil  this  law  by  obedience  and  fuffering,  that 
he  may  be  juft  and  yet  have  mercy  on  linners 
— that  falvation  is  now  freely  offered  to  all — 
that  every  one  ought  immediately  to  repent 
'and  embrace  the  Saviour — that  all  the  uncon- 
verted reject  offered  mercy — that  none  will  be 
faved,  unlefs  God  change  their  hearts— and 
that  all,  who  are  quickened  by  fovereign 
grace  and  made  alive  to  God,  will  be  pardoned 
and  fanclified,  and  at  laft  received  to  glory.-— 
Thefe,  and  other  truths,  conneded  with  them, 
are  infinitely  interefting  to  every  child  ;  and 
parents  muft  take  great  pains  to  conimunicate 
a  knowledge  of  them  to  their  children*  If 
they  do  not,  they  muft  expect  their  children 
to  be  ignorant  and  hardened  in  wickcdnefs. 
Neglecting  to  teach  thefe  truths  to  children, 
is  depriving  them  of  an  intereft  in  the  gofpel : 
It  is  ruining  their  immortal  fouls. 

Parents  muft  alfo  daily  repair  to  the  throne 
of  grace,  and  be  abundan-t  in  prayer  for  their 
children.  In  the  arms  of  faith  and  prayer, 
they  muft  prefent  their  children  to  the  Lord 
for  his  fpecial  bleffing.  The  believing  parent 
enjoys  a  precious  privilege  in  having  accefs  to 
the  throne  of  grace  :  For  there  he  may  ol  tain 
mercy  and  find  grace,  proportioned  to  his  duty 


[  58  1 

and  to  all  the  difficulties  of  teaching  his  chil- 
dren the  fear  of  God.  Of  the  fulnefs  in  Chrift, 
he  may  receive  abundant  fupplies  of  grace  and 
ftrength  :  Apd  in  anfwer  to  his  fervent,  per- 
fevering  prayers,  his  children  may  receive  'of 
the  fame  fulnefs.  He  may  be  greatly  animated 
in  prayer,  by  a  believing  view  of  God's  gra- 
cious promife,  to  be  a  "God  to  him  and  to  his 
feed,  which  has  been  fealed  by  his  and  their 
baptilm.  By  believing  prayer,  he  may  take 
hold  of  God's  gracious  promife,  and  humbly 
and  importunately  plead  for  the  beftowment 
of  his  bleffings  on  hintfelf  and  on  his  children. 
When  children  enjoy  the  benefit  of  fuch  be- 
lieving, fervent  prayer,  from  day  to  day,  then 
much  is  done  to  bring  them  up  in  the  nurture 
of  the  Lord.  Such  effedual,  fervent  prayer 
availeth  much  :  It  will  be  gracioufly  anfwered, 
—But, 

II.  Parents  are  alfo  required  to  bring  up 
their  children  in  the  admonition  of  the  Lord. 

The  admonition  of  the  Lord  relates  to  the 
authority,  which  he  directs  parents  to  excrcife 
over  their  children.  Parents  are  to  command 
their  children  to  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord. 
This  is  evident  from  God's  teflimony  concern- 
ing Abraham.  "  For  I  know  him  that  he  will 
command  his  children  and  his  houfehold  after 
him,  and  they  fliall  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord, 
to  do  juftice  and  judgment,  that  the  Lord 
may  bring  upon  Abraham,  that  which  he 
hath  fpoken  of  him."     Abraham  did  his  duty 


[59] 

in  fo  commanding  his  children  and  houfehold, 
as  that  they  did  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord,  or 
truly  obey  his  commands.  If  this  had  not 
been  his  duty^  he  would  not  have  been  com^- 
mended,  as  he  is,  for  thus  commanding  thofe 
under  his  care.  But  it  is  equally  the  duty  of 
all  other  p,irents  and  heads  of  families  to  com- 
mand their  children  and  houfeholds  to  keep 
the  way  of  the  Lord.  This  is  a  moral  duty, 
and  it  is  binding  on  all  parents  and  heads  of 
families  ;  for  it  is  founded  on  the  rciation  ex- 
ifting  between  them  and  their  children  and 
houfeholds.  It  is  alfo  founded  on  the  fitnefs 
of  things  :  It  is  right  and  fit  that  every  parent 
Ihould  command  his  children  and  ail  under 
his  care,  to  walk  in  the  fear  of  God.  Parents 
among  the  Ifraelites  were  required  to  love 
God  Vv'ith  all  the  heart  and  Vv^alk  in  all  his 
ways ;  and  thefe  things  they  were  diligently 
to  teach  their  children,  and  to  command  them 
to  love  God  and  be  obedient  to  all  his  precepts. 
"  For  he  eftablifhed  a  teftimony  in  Jacob,  and 
appointed  a  law  in  Ifrael,  w^hich  he  commanded 
our  fathers,  that  they  fhould  make  them 
known  to  their  children  ;  that  the  generation 
to  come  might  know  them,  even  the  children 
which  fliould  be  born,  who  fhould  arife  and 
declare  them  to  their  children  :  that  they 
might  fet  their  hope  in  God,  and  not  forget 
the  works  of  God  5  but  keep  his  command- 
ments." 


[60] 

We  may  fee  the  propriety  of  parents'  being 
required  to  bring  up  their  children  in  the  ad- 
monition of  the  Lord,  or  to  command  them 
to  love  him  with  all  the  heart,  and  walk  in 
all  his  ways  :  For  children  are  placed  pecul- 
iarly under  the  care  of  their  parents — are 
much  dependent  on  them — and  greatly  need 
•their  inftrud:ion,  their  counfel,  and  faithful 
admonitions.  For  who  fliall  inftruct,  counfel 
and  corred  children,  in  their  early  years,  if 
parents,  or  thofe  who  have  the  particular  care 
of  them,  do  not  ?  Hence  there  is  great  pro- 
priety in  parents'  being  required  to  corred: 
their  children,  to  reftrain  them  from  all  finful 
practices,  and  to  command  them  to  live  in  the 
fear  of  God. 

What  has  been  fuggefted  on  the  nurture  of 
the  Lord,  may  further  fhew  the  propriety  of 
parents'  being  required  to  command  their 
iiildreix,  to  love  God  and  walk  in  all  his  ways- 
— There  is  a  divine  promife  which  connects 
the  piety  of  children  with  the  faithfulnefs  of 
the  parent.  In  bringing  them  up  in  the  nur- 
ture of  the  Lord,  he  has  embraced  this  gra- 
<:ious  promife  by  faith — he  lias  dedicated  his 
children  to  God,  and  the  feal  of  his  covenant 
has  been  put  upon  them  by  baptifm — he  has 
taught  them  the  great  truths  of  the  gofpel, 
and  has  fervently  prayed  for  them  from  day 
to  day.  If  he  has  been  duly  faithful  in  thefe 
things,  he  may  have  great  authority  and  in- 
fluence over  his  children.     After  telling  them. 


[  6i  3 

that  he  has,  as  he  hopes,  taken  hold  of  God's 
gracious  covenant  by  faith — ^that  he  has  ded- 
icated them  to  the  Lord,  and  tint  the  feal  of 
his  covenant  has  been  put  upon  theni— tliat 
he  has  inftrucled  them  in  the  doflrines  and 
duties  of  chriftianity,  and  often,  by  prayer, 
fought  God's  fpecial  blefling  for  them  :  He 
inay  then  very  affection ately  and  folemnly 
counfel  aiid  warn,  exhort  and  command  them 
to  repent  and  embrace  the  .Saviour.  And  he 
may  greatly  enforce  his  exhortations  and  com- 
mands, by  clearly  ftating  to  them  the  guilt 
and  awful  confequences  of  refufing  to  repent 
and  live  godly  lives.  Ke  may  plainly  Ihew 
them  that  a  prayerlefs  and  irreligious  life  will 
caft  horrid  contempt  upon  God's  gracious  cov- 
enant and  all  the  means  of  grace,  v/hich  have 
been  ufed  with  them.  He  may  alfo  (hew 
them,  liow  awful  their  condition  w4Il  be  at 
judgment  and  to  eternity,  if  they  die  impeni- 
tent. He  may  then  repeat  his  aiTeclionate  ex- 
hortations and  com.mands,  and,  with  great  fo- 
lemnity,  intreat  and  urge  them  to  renounce 
their  fms  and  become  holy. — I  have  heard  of 
a  pious  woman,  v/ho  had  a  very  wicked  and 
profligate  fon.  On  her  death-bed,  ihe  called 
this  fon  to  her  bed  fide,  and  addreiled  him  to 
this  purport :  "  My  dear  fon,  I  have  often  in- 
ftrucled,  counfelled,  and  warned  you  ;  and  I 
have  daily  prayed  for  you,  for  the  fpace  of 
thirty  years.     But  you  have   defpifed  my  in- 

F 


[62    ] 

ftructlons  and  counfels,  and  contemned  my 
prayers.  I  am  now  about  to  leave  you  by 
death.  But  I  fliall  meet  you  at  the  bar  of 
God ;  and  then,  if  you  are  impenitent,  as  you 
are  now,  I  {hall  approve  the  fentence,  which 
will  be  pafTed  upon  you,  and  fix  you  in  endlefs 
mifery  and  defpair." — How  folemn  !  how  af- 
fecting mud  have  been  this  reproof  and  warn- 
ing !  It  was  bleffed,  if  I  do  not  miflake,  to  his 
conviction  and  hopeful  con  verlion.  How  happy 
if  all  parents,  who  have  vicious  and  wicked 
cliildren,  could  adopt  a  fimilar  method  of  re- 
proof and  warning.  If  they  could,  we  might 
hope,  that  it  would  have  the  fame  bleifed  ef- 
fed. — In  this  connection  w^e  may  fee  why  Eli 
was  blamed,  and  judgments  were  executed 
upon  him  and  his  family,  when  his  fons  had 
made  chemfelves  vile,  and  he  reftrained  them 
not. 

The  great  end  of  parental  faithfulnefs  is 
not  obtained,  except  parents  fo  command, 
intreat,  correct,  reprove  and  warn  their  chil- 
dren, as  that  they  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord, 
or  become  truly  pious.  To  bring  up  their 
children,  agreeably  to  divine  command,  they 
mil  ft  train  them  up  in  the  way  they  fhould  go. 
This  is  not  the  way  of  fm  and  unbelief,  but 
of  holinefs,  of  evangelical  piety.  Parents  are 
not  required  to  give  grace  to  their  children  ; 
or  to  do  that  which  God  does  by  the  fpecial 
influences  of  his  Spirit.  But  they  muft  be 
£uthful  in  ufmg  appointed  means,  that  their 


[63  ] 

children,  by  divine  grace,  may  be  renewed  and 
faved.  While  children  live  in  fin,  in  unbe- 
lief, and  the  neglect  of  prayer,  and  take  more 
delight  in  vain  amufements  and  diverfions, 
than  they  do  in  the  duties  of  religion,  their 
parents  have  not  performed  the  whole  of  their 
duty.  When  ark  eminently  pious  woman  was 
afked,  whether  flie  were  ready  to  die,  flie  re- 
plied ;  "  No,  becaufe  fuch  a  fon  is  not  con- 
verted. He  is  an  impenitent  fmner  ;  and  I 
feel  that  I  have  fomethins:  more  to  do  for 
him."  Afterwards  Ihe  was  aiked  the  fame 
quellion  and  faid  ;  "  I  am  now  ready  ;  for 
God,  I  hope,  has  heard  and  gracioufly  an- 
fwered  my  prayers,  blelled  my  endeavors,  and 
changed  the  heart  of  my  fon.  I  feel  as  though 
my  work  on  earth  were  now  completed." 

IMPROVEMENT. 

r.  IT  is  neceiT.iry  and  highly  important 
that  parents  fhould  be  eminently  pious.  As 
it  refpecls  their  children,  it  is  abfolutely  nec- 
elTary  that  they  fhould  be  fomething  more 
than  barely  regenerated  perfons  ;  for  parents, 
who  are  real  chriftians,  may  be  very  deficient 
in  the  difcharge  of  duty  to  their  children,  and 
not  bring  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admo- 
nition of  the  Lord.  Parents,  like  Barnabss, 
fhould  be  eminently  pious,  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghoft,  and  of  faith.  If  this  be  our  charactej', 
my  brethren,  wc  ihall   have  a  lively  faith  in 


C  64] 

God's  gracious  promife — '-  To  be  a  God  unto 
us  and  to  our  children  ;"  our  great  depen- 
dence will  be  on  God's  proniifed  grace ;  in 
faith  we  Ihail  dedicate  our  children  to  the 
Lord,  and  daily  look  to  him  to  blefs  them. 
This  lively  faith  is  highly  necellary  in  pre- 
fcntin^  our  children  to  be  baptized.  By  fuch 
a  faith,  we  ihall  make  an  entire  furrender  of 
them  to  the  Lord,  and  take  hold  of  that  gra- 
cious promife,  which  is  fealed  in  their  baptifm. 
To  do  this  is  very  important.  For  the  chil- 
dren of  the  believer  muft  be  the  children  of  faith 
and  of  the  promife,  to  be  blelTed  with  faving 
bkilings.  "  They  which  are  the  chndren  of 
the  fieih,"  faith  the  Apoftle,  "  thefe*  are  not 
the  children  of  God  ;  but  the  children  of  the 
promife  are  counted  for  the  feed."  It  is  not 
iumcient  that  children  are  born  of  godly  par«* 
ents  :  They  muil  alfo  be  children  of  the  prom- 
ife by  the  faith  of  their  parents.  Ifaac  was  a 
child  of  promife  and  of  faith.  It  was  by 
faith  in  the  promife  that  his  parents  received 
him,  contrary  to  the  ordinary  courfe  of  na- 
ture. "  Againft  hope,  Abraham  believed  in 
hope :  He  ftaggered  not  at  the  promiie  of 
God  through  unbelief ;  but  was  ftrong  in 
faith,  giving  glory  to  God ;  and  being  fully 
perfuadcd  that  what  he  had  promifed,  he  was 
able  alfo  to  perform."  In  this  way,  he 
received  the  promifed  blefling.  The  believing 
parent,  in   like  manner,   mufl   take   hold   of 


[  65  3 

God*s  gracious  promife  refpecling  his  children, 
as  Abraham  took  hold  of  God's  gracious  prom- 
ife, which  offered  him  Ifaac.  Although  his 
children  are,  by  nature,  dead  in  fin,  and  chil- 
dren of  wrath  even  as  others,  yet  he  muft  fully 
believe  that  the  Lord  can  quicken  them,  and 
make  them  a  fpiritual  and  holy  feed. 

This  faith  is  not  a  vain  confidence  that  the 
Lord  will  fave  our  children,  Vv^hether  we  be 
faithful  to  them  or  not.  But  it  is  fuch  a  real- 
izing view  of  his  promife,  grace  and  faithful- 
nefs,  as  fhall  lead  us  conftantly  to  look  to  him, 
and  confidently  depend  upon  him,  for  all 
needed  grace.  Such  a  faith  greatly  honors 
the  Lord,  and  is  a  means  of  obtaining  fpiritual 
bleflings.  When  Chrifl  was  on  earth,  he  re- 
quired that  thofe  who  wifhed  him  to  heal 
their  children  or  fervants  of  any  bodily  dif- 
order,  fhould  believe  that  he  was  able  to  per- 
form what  they  requefled.  And  children  and 
fervants  were  peculiarly  benefitted  by  the  faith 
of  their  parents  and  mailers.  But  this  faith 
is  flill  more  important  in  making  application 
to  Chrift  for  fpiritual  bleflings  for  our  children. 
We  fhould  then  have  the  humble  and  perfe- 
vering  faith  of  the  woman  of  Canaan.  She 
deeply  felt  her  unworthinefs,  and  was  wil- 
ling to  be  confidered  as  being  no  better  than  a 
dog  :  to  receive  mere  crumbs  of  mercy  feemed 
to  be  the  extent  of  her  defires.  She  was  not 
difcouraged,  by  not  having  her  requefl  imme- 

F  2 


[66] 

d lately  granted  in  behalf  of  her  child  :  But 
file  perfevered  in  believing  prayer  ;  and  when 
her  faith  was  fufEciently  tried,  flie  received  a 
gracious  anfwer.  In  like  manner,  we  muft  be- 
lieve in  Chrift's  grace  and  fufficiency  to  do  fot* 
us  and  for  our  children,  to  make  us  faithful, 
and  to  bellow  on  them  fpiritual  bleffings.  Our 
children  may  as  well  receive  fpiritual  bleffings 
on  account  of  our  faith,  as  the  children  of  oth- 
ers received  temporal  bleffings  on  account  of 
their  parents'  faith.  For  the  faith,  w^e  are  con- 
iidering,  will  keep  us  humble  and  prayerful^ 
and  excite  us  to  bring  up  our  children  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.  Such  a 
faith,  God  will  own  and  blefs. 

In  proportion  to  our  faith  and  piety,  we 
fliall  be  concerned  for  our  children j  and 
be  abundant  in  inftru(5ling  them^  in  praying 
^br  them,  in  counfelling,  warning,  reproving^ 
and  commandinac  them.  But  how  can  we  do 
thefe  things  faithfully,  my  brethren,  if  we  neg- 
lect relimon  ourfelves,  or  live  in  a  cold  and 
formal  manner  't  If  we  do  not  fet  a  bright  ex- 
ample of  piety  before  our  children,  how  can 
we  expecl  them  to  imitate  us  in  that  which  is 
good  ?  If  we  be  net  uniform  in  our  holy  w^alk, 
but  are  fometimes  engaged  in  religion,  and 
then  indulge  in  vanity  and  levity,  in  foolifh 
talking  and  jcfl:ing,;  and  in  a  love  of  the  world, 
its  pleafures  and  riches,  muft  we  not  expe(5l 
our  children  to  imitate  us  in  thefe  things,  and 
neglecl  religion  ?  If  parents,  who   have   the 


C«7] 

name  of  being  cliriftians,  fpeak  evil,  or  liglitly 
and  reproachfully  of  others,  and  frequently  ex- 
prefs  envy  and  anger,  and  other  evil  pailions, 
will  not  their  children  be  very  likely  to  do  the 
fame  ?  Will  they  not  fay,  "  We  may  do  as  our 
parents  do ;  for  they  are  chriftians."  How 
then  can  we  be  faithful,  and  bring  up  our 
children  to  love  and  ferve  God,  except  we  dai- 
ly teach  them  by  a  holy  example  ?  As  we  fail 
in  this,  our  other  inftruflions,  counfels  and 
warnings  will  have  no  good  effecl:.  It  is  there- 
fore of  vaft  importance  that  we  daily  walk 
with  God,  and  be  blamelefs,  walking  in  all 
the  commandments  and  ordinances  of  the 
Lord.  It  is  in  this  way  only,  that  we  can  be 
faithful  to  our  children.  And  is  it  not  infin- 
itely important  that  we  be  faithful  to  them  ? 
We  have  the  charge  of  their  immortal  fouls. 
It  is  our  duty  to  fee  them  trained  up  for 
God's  heavenly  kingdom.  If  v/e  be 
unfaithful,  and  our  children  perifh,  we 
muil:  anfwer  for  their  fouls.  The  fouls  of 
children,  who  periflTL,  will  be  required  of  their 
unfaithful  parents.  It  is  therefore  infinitely 
important  to  us,  as  parents,  that  we  be  faith- 
ful, and  avoid  the  awful  guilt  of  ruining  our 
children.  It  is  alfo  infinitely  important  that 
we  be  faithful,  as  it  refpecls  our  children. 
For  if  we  be  faithful  and  bring  up  our  chil- 
dren in  the  fear  of  God,  he  will  blefs  our 
faithful  exertions  and  fave  our  children  with 
an  everlafling  falvation.     But  if  we  be  un- 


[68  1 

faithful,  the  endlcfs  mifery  of  our  children 
may  be  the  confequence.  Is  it  not  therefore 
infinitely  important  that  we  be  eminently  pi- 
ousj  and  faithfuUy  attend  to  every  part  of 
our  duty  ?  Can  we  feel  that  it  is  a  light  affair, 
to  neglecl  any  thing  which  we  may  do  to  fave 
our  dear  children  ?  One  negle<5l  of  duty,  if  it 
be  continued,  may  prove  their  ruin.  Let  us 
then  feel  the  vaft  importance  of  being  emi- 
nently pious  and  faithfuL 

1,  Parents,  who  are  moral  in  the  view  of 
the  world,  but  not  pious  in  the  fight  of  God, 
are  vaftly  criminal  with  refped  to  their  chil- 
dren. 

The  goodnefs  of  fuch  parents  confifts  in  ab- 
flaining  from  what  is  outwardly  immoral, 
openly  vicious  and  difgraceful  in  the  view  of 
the  world ;  and  doing  what  they  think  is 
necelTary  to  fecure  the  efleem  of  their  fellow 
men  and  promote  their  own  intereft.  Their 
goodnefs  does  not  in  the  leaft  confift  in  being 
penitent,  humble  and  prayerful,  in  following 
Chriil  and  feeking  the  glory  of  God.  Such 
parents  do  nothing,  in  reality,  to  bring  up 
their  children  in  the  nurture  and  admonition 
of  the  Lord.  They  do  not  cordially  embrace, 
but  rejedl  God's  gracious  covenant ;  they  do 
not  dedicate  their  children  to  God  in  the  way 
of  his  appointment ;  nor  do  they  ever,  in  faith 
and  by  prayer,  look  to  God  to  blefs  and  fave 
their  children  \  they  never,  in  a  chriftian  man- 
ner,   inilruft  their    children    in   the  things 


[69] 

of  their  everlafting.  peace  ;  they  never  intreat 
and  urge  them,  as  they  ought,  to  repent  and 
embrace  Chrift  as  their  everlafting  Friend. — 
And  what  is  the  daily  example  of  fuch  parents?  ■ 
Does  their  example  lead  their  children  to  be 
pious,  to  be  the  follovv^ers  of  Chrift  ?  Their  ex- 
ample has  vaft  influence  on  their  children  ; 
for  their  children  daily  look  up  to  them  for 
inftruction,  and  readily  imitate  them  in  what 
they  fay  and  do.  Will  their  children,  by  at- 
tending to  their  example,  learn  to  pray,  to 
love  andferve  God  ?  Will  their  children,  while 
copying  after  their  exam^ple,  deeply  feel  the 
abfolute  neceffity  of  a  change  of  heart  by  fpec- 
ial  grace,  in  order  to  efcape  endlefs  mifery  ? 
or  will  they  think  that  a  moral  life,  as  the 
world  term  it,  is  fufEcient,  and  that  they  need 
not  trouble  themfelves  about  being  born 
again  ;  feeing  how  little  their  parents  concern 
themfelves  about  this  change  of  heart,  and 
how  fecure  they  feel  without  it.  Will  not 
fuch  children,  through  the  influence  of  their 
parents'  example,  live  in  ignorance  of  the 
gofpel  ?  Will  they  not  neglect  its  great  falva- 
tion,  and  be  in  extreme  danger  of  endlefs  mif- 
ery ?  For  they  will  be  led  to  place  dependence 
on  their  morality,  and  feel  fecure  of  future 
happinefs,  while  in  the  gall  of  bitternefs  and 
the  bond  of  iniquity.  They  will  exped  falva- 
tion,  without  being  born  again,  and  without 
being  juflified  by  faith  in  Chrift.  "  There  is 
a  way  that  feemeth  right  unto   a  man  j  but 


[  70  3 

the  end  thereof  are  the  v/ays  of  death.  There 
is  a  generation  that  are  pure  in  their  own 
eyes  ;  and  yet  is  not  waflied  from  their  filthi^ 
nefs."  And  hence  the  final  Judge  declares, 
"  Verily,  verily,  I  fay  unto  thee,  Except  a 
man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  fee  the  kingdom 
of  God."  Thofe  parents,  who  have  not  ex- 
perienced this  change,  and  do  not,  by  precept 
and  example,  teach  their  children  the  neceility 
and  importance  of  it,  but,  by  their  words  and 
conduct,  lead  their  children  to  treat  it  as  a 
piece  of  enthuliafm  or  fuperftition,  are  faft 
filling  up  the  meafure  of  their  own  iniquities ; 
and  leading  their  children  to  neglect  the  great 
falvation  of  the  gofpel  to  their  final  ruin. 
How  exceedingly  criminal  fuch  parents  will 
appear,  when  judged  according  to  the  deeds 
done  in  the  body  ! 

3.  We  may  fee  why  prayerlefs  and  irre- 
ligious families  i'o  greatly  defer ve  God's  wTath. 
His  fury  will  be  poured  out,  or  executed  in  a 
iignal  manner,  on  fuch  famiUes.  For  thus  we 
read,  "  Pour  out  thy  fury  upon  the  heathen 
that  know  thee  not,  and  upon  the  families 
that  call  not  on  thy  name."  In  fuch  families, 
precious  and  immortal  fouls  are  ruined  :  They 
become  veiTels  of  wrath,  and  fit  for  nothing, 
but  endlefs  defl:ru6lion  from  the  prefence  of 
the  Lord.  Where  the  parents  are  truly  pi- 
ous and  faithful,  we  behold  a  lovely  fight,  a 
family,  which  is  a  nurfery  of  virtue  and  piety, 
and  where  the  children  may  be  trained  up  for 


[7^  ] 

God's  eternal  kingdom.  But  can  this  be  faid 
of  the  family  of  the  ungodly  ?  Is  it  in  the 
prayerlefs,  irreligious  family,  that  the  children 
will  learn  to  praifa  God  and  become  meet  for 
heaven  ?  or  will  they  be  moft  likely  in  fuch  a 
family  to  be  fitted  for  deftruclion  ?  Is  not 
amazing  guilt  contracted  in  fuch  a  family  ? 
Is  not  fuch  a  family  peculiarly  deferving  of 
God's  difpleafure  and  wrath  ?  There  his  nam.e 
has  been  highly  difhonored  ;  the  worfhip  and 
praife  which  are  due  to  him  have  been  with- 
held ;  and  children,  who  ought  to  have  been 
inftruded  to  love  God  and  honor  his  name, 
have  been  taught  to  live  without  prayer,  to 
flight  his  word,  to  profane  his  holy  fabbath, 
to  defpife  his  ordinances,  and  reject  his  beloved 
Son.  To  fuch  families,  it  will  be  a  fearful 
thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God. 
For  the  wicked  fliali  be  turned  into  hell  and 
all  the  nations,  and  confequently,  all  the  fami- 
lies that  forget  God,  and  call  not  on  his  name. 
4.  As  parents  are  to  bring  up  their  chil- 
dren in  the  nurture  of  the  Lord,  hence  we  learn 
that  in  catechiiing  their  children,  they  muft 
teach  them  the  great  and  eflential  dodrines 
of  the  gofpel.  It  is  not  fufficient  to  teach 
them  fome  moral  truths,  or  what  heathens  and 
thofe  who  deny  the  eflential  do6lrines  of  the 
gofpel,  would  teach  them.  Parents  may  take 
abundant  pains  to  teach  their  children  cate- 
chifms,  which  do  not  contain  thefe  eiTential 
doctrines.     And  how  much  are  their  chlldrea 


[72] 

benefitted  ?  Are  they  benefitted  in  any  degree 
with  refpecl  to  their  eternal  falvation?  They 
are  taught  a  kind  of  morality  ;  but  while  they 
are  taught  this,  their  minds  are  filled  with 
prejudices  againfi:  the  doc!:rines  of  grace,  or 
the  way  of  falvation  revealed  in  the  gofpel. 
True  fcripture  morality  is  friendly  to  thefs 
doclrines  and  to  this  way  of  falvation  ;  for  it 
confifts  in  fupreme  love  to  God,  and  impartial 
love  to  men.  This  love  will  embrace  thefe 
doclrines  :  It  will  lead  perfons  to  defend  and 
maintain  them.  But  there  is  a  kind  of  moral- 
ity, as  it  is  called  by  the  world,  which  exills 
entirely  without  thi^  love.  It  is  fuch  a  moral- 
ity as  the  Scribes  and  Pharifees  poffeiTed,  in 
appearing  outwardly  righteous,  while  th^ir 
hearts  were  not  changed  by  fpecial  grace,  but 
were  full  of  iniquity  and  hypocrify.  And  the 
more  perfons  acquire  of  this  morality,  the 
more  moral  or  righteous  they  become  in  their 
own  view,  without  a  change  of  heart  by  fpec- 
ial grace,  the  more  they  diflike  and  oppofe  the 
gofpel  method  of  falvation.  Hence  Chriil  fdid 
to  the  Scribes  and  Pharifees,  "  Verily  I  fay  un- 
to you.  That  the  publicans  and  the  harlots  go  in- 
to the  kingdom  of  God  before  you." — It  does 
not  follow  from  this,  that  parents  may  negle<fl: 
their  children,  and  not  teach  them  good  mor- 
als. But  they  ought  to  lay  a  good  foundation. 
They  ftiould  teach  them  thofe  truths  and  doc- 
trines which  are  eflential  to  the  chrifdan  relig- 
ion  and  to  all   acceptable   morality.      They 


C  73  3 

fhould  early  teach  them  their  totally  iinful  and 
loft  ftate,  by  nature,  and  that  they  muft  be 
created  in  Chrift  Jefus  unto  good  works,  be- 
fore they  can  do  any  thing  which  is  acceptable 
to  God. 

It  is  often  objected  againft  teaching  children 
the  doctrines  of  total  moral  depravity,  of  elec- 
tion, of  God's  univerfal  decrees,  of  the  Trini- 
ty, &c.  or  the  great  truths  contained  in  Th^ 
AJfemhlfs  Jhorter  Catechifm^  that  they  cannc  t 
comprehend  thefe  things. — To  this  it  may  be 
replied,  that  it  is  equally  true  that  children, 
and  even  adults,  cannot  comprehend  the  ex- 
iftence  of  God,  his  abfolute  eternity,  his  being 
prefent  at  the  fame  time  in  every  part  of  im- 
menfity,  and  perfectly  knowing  ail  things,  paft, 
prefent,  and  to  come.  But  ftiil  children  may 
with  propriety  be  taught  thefe  truths  concern- 
ing God  ;  for  they  may  believe  that  which 
they  cannot  comprehend.  If  they  be  taught 
nothing  but  what  they  can  comprehend,  they 
muft  be  taught  but  a  very  little,  if  any  thing, 
and  be  taught  nothing  concerning  God  ;  for 
what  finite  being  can  comprehend  the  perfec- 
tions and  works  of  Him  who  is  infinite.  If 
children  cannot  comprehend  the  doctrines 
contained  in  this  Catechifm  ;  yet  they  may 
be  taught  thefe  doctrines  and  have  them 
treafured  up  in  their  minds,  as  matter  of  ftudy 
and  delightful  meditation. — This  Catechifm 
is  fully  believed  to  contain  the  moft  excellent 

G 


I!  74] 

fummaryj  now  extant,  of  the  doctrines  of  tlic 
gofpel.— We  nnay, 

5.     Reflect   on  the  propriety   and  impor^ 
tance  of  Miniilers'  aflifting  parents  in  bringing 
vip  their  children  in  the  fear  of  God.     Parents. 
need  alTiitance  ;  for  they  have  a  great  work  to 
perform  ;  a  work    attended  with    many  and 
peculiar  diificulties.     But  Minifters  may  affift 
them.     By  catechifmg   youth  and   children, 
Minifters  m.ay  do   fomething  to   give  them  a 
knowledge   of  divine   truth.     They  may  ex- 
plain anfwers  in  the    Catechifm  and  pailages 
of  Scripture.      They  may   alfo  prefs    divine 
truth  and  duty  on    the  minds  of  young  per- 
fons.     After  inftruCting  them  in  the  doctrines 
and  precepts  of  God's  word,  they  may  make 
an  aifeclionate  and  folemn- application  to  the 
heart  and  confcience.     Is   it    not  highly  fuita- 
ble  and   important  that  Minifiers  fiiould  thus 
aiTifr  parents  r  Many  parents  feel  their   need 
of  fuch  aillftance,  and  greatly  defire  it.     Faith- 
ful Minifters  feel  the  vaft  im-pcrtance  of  afford- 
ing this  aftiftance  ;  and    they  may  hope  by  a 
£xithful  difcharge  of  this  duty  to  win  fouls  to 
Chrift.     Hence  it  is  proper  and  vaftly  impor- 
tai^.t  that  Minifters  ihould  exert  thenifelves  to 
ailHl  parents  in  bringing  up  their   children  in 
the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 

,  6.  We  may  reflect  en  the  propriety  and 
importance  of  Churches  attending  particular- 
ly to  the  children  of  profeftbrs. 


L75l 

The  Church  is  founded  on  God*s  covenant, 
in  which  he  promifes  the  Church  his  grace 
and  proteclion.  This  covenant  pecuharly  re- 
fpecls  th€  children  of  God's  profelling  people. 
For  this  reafon,  thefe  children  have  the  feal  of 
the  covenant  as  well  as  their  parents.  The 
baptifm  of  a  believing  parent's  child  appears 
to  have  no  ciTentially  different  meaning  from 
the' baptifm  of  the  believer.  The  children  of 
the  believer,  who  have  been  baptized,  Hand 
in  a  veiy  different  relation  to  the  covenant 
from  the  children  of  unbelievers.  Has  the 
Church  then  nothing  to  do  v/iih  thefe  child- 
dren  ?  Is  the  Church  to  view  and  treat  thefe 
children  in  the  fame  light  with  tiie  children 
of  the  ungodly  at  large,  and  of  the  pagans  of 
the  wildernefi  ?  Or  is  the  Church  to  view 
thefe  children  as  being  peculiarly  under  their 
care  and  iniliruction  ?  Is  it  right  and  proper 
for  the  Church  to  overlook  what  has  been 
done  for  thefe  children  ?  They  have  been  ex- 
prefsly  and  publicly  dedicated  to  God,  to  be 
his  people  forever  ;  theh'  parents  arc  under 
very  folemn  obligation  and  engagements  to 
bring  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  adm.onition 
of  the  Lord  ;  God  has  made  precious  promif- 
es refpecling  them,  affuring  us  that  he  will  re- 
new them  if  their  parents  be  faithful ;  and 
thefe  promifes  have  been  fealed,  on  the  part 
of  God,  in  their  baptifm.  Now  is  it  right 
and  proper  that  the  Church  ffiould  practical- 
ly overlook  all  thefe  things,  and   treat  thefe. 


C  7&] 

children  no  other  wife  than  they  treat  the 
children  of  unbelievers  ?  Or  is  it  fuitable  and 
highly  important  that  the  Church  fhould  pay 
particular  attention  to  thefe  children,  and  fee 
tha,t  they  be  brought  up  in  the  nurture  and  ad- 
monition of  the  Lord  ?  Ought  not  the  Church 
to  unite  their  influence  and  affift  parents  in 
teaching  and  commanding  their  children  to 
love  and  fear  God  ?  Is  there  not  a  great  ncg* 
lecl  in  Churches,  in  this  refped,  at  the  pref- 
ent  day  ?  Are  not  baptized  children  fadly, 
yea  awfully  negleded  ?  Is  not  infant  baptifm 
lightly  efteemed,  if  not  defpifed  by  fome,  on 
this  account  ?  And  may  not  the  prefent  low 
ilate  of  religion  in  many  of  our  Churches  be 
[greatly  owing  to  this  negledt?  Muft  not 
Churches  reform  in  this,  before  we  can  expedl 
a  general  revival  of  religion  ? 

7.  It  is  inconliftent  and  finful  in  parents  to 
allow  their  children  to  engage  in  the  finful  di- 
verfions  and  pleafures  of  the  world.  There 
is  a  very  manifefl:  inconfiliency  in  the  conduct 
of  parents  in  dedicating  their  children  to  God, 
having  the  feal  of  his  covenant  put  upon  them, 
folemnly  engaging  and  attempting  to  teach 
them  to  fear  and  love  God  ;  and  then  allow- 
ing them  to  engage  in  the  pleafures  and  diver- 
fions  of  the  w^^rld,  that  iieth  in  v/ickednefs. 
Is  this  fulfilling  covenant  engagements  re- 
fpecbing  children,  to  let  them  purfue  thofe 
pleafures,  which  make  them  forgetful  of  God, 
of  death,  of  judgment,  and  eternity  ?  Do  par- 


[  11 '\ 

cnts  bring  up  their  children  for  God,  in  al- 
lowing them  to  purfue  thofe  things,  which  di- 
rectly lead  to  a  neglect  of  prayer  and  every  re- 
ligious duty  ?  Do  the  pleafures  and  amufe- 
ments  of  this  evil  world,  difpofe  perfons  to 
feek  God  with  the  whole  heart  and  to  praife 
him  acceptably  ?  Does  the  ball-chamber  pre- 
pare young  perfons  for  the  exercifes  of  devo- 
votion  ?  Do  perfons,  in  purfuing  thefe  pleaf- 
ures, become  heavenly  minded,  and  prepared 
to  die  in  peace,  and  enter  the  paradife  of  God  ? 
Would  perfons  wifh  to  die  in  the  midfl  of 
thefe  pleafures  ?  or  would  they  w^ifh  to  die  in 
the  exercifes  of  devotion  ?  Can  parents  feel 
that  their  children  glorify  God,  and  prepare 
to  enjoy  him  in  heaven,  while  fpending  their 
precious  time  in  thefe  vain  pleafures  ?  It  is  to 
no  purpofe  to  fay,  thefe  pleafures  are  innocent, 
when  their  dired  tendency  is  to  lead  perfons 
to  call  off  the  fear  of  God,  and  live  vvithout 
prayer.  Thefe  plcafares  deftroy  the  immortal 
foul.  How  then  can  they  be  innocent  ?  To 
fay  that  young  perfons  need  thefe  pleafures, 
is  abfurd  ;  for  none  need  thofe  things  which 
fit  them  for  deftruclion.  You  may,  with  as 
much  propriety,  fay  that  the  fecure,  hardened 
fmner  needs  opportunities  to  fill  up  the  meaf- 
ure  of  his  iniquities,  and  fit  himfelf  for  def- 
truclion,  as  that  young  perfons  need  thefe 
pleafares;  for  they  are  fitting  for  deftruction, 
while  purfuing  them.    To  fpend  precious  time 

G  2 


C78  1 

in  pleafure  is  given  in  fcripture  as  a  part  of  the 
characler  of  the  wicked.  Of  them,  it  is  ex- 
prefsly  faid,  Job  xxi.  "  They  fend  forth  their 
little  ones  like  a  flock,  and  their  children  dance. 
They  take  the  timbrel  and  harp,  and  rejoice 
at  the  found  of  the  organ.  They  fpend  their 
days  in  wealth,  and  in  a  moment  go  down  to 
the  grave.  Therefore  they  fay  unto  God, 
Depart  from  us  ;  for  we  defirc  not  the  knowl- 
edge of  thy  ways.  What  is  the  Almighty, 
that  we  {hould  ferve  him  ?  and  what  profit 
Ihould  we  ha%^c,  if  we  pray  unto  him  ? — They 
are  as  ftubble  before  the  wind,  and  as  chaff 
that  the  ftorm  carrieth  away.  God  layeth  up 
his  iniquity  for  his  children."  Ifai.  v.  "  And 
the  harp  and  the  viol,  the  tabret  and  pipe, 
and  wine  are  in  their  feafts  5  but  they  regard 
not  the  work  of  the  Lord,  neither  coniider 
the  operation  of  his  hands. — Therefore  hell 
hath  enlarged  herfelf,  and  opened  her  mouth 
without  meafure  ;  and  their  glory,  and  their 
multitude,  and  their  pomp,  and  he  that  re- 
joiceth  fliall  defcend  into  it." — Is  it  not  wrong? 
is  it  not  fmful  in  parents  to  indulge  their  chil- 
dren in  thofe  things^  which  diihonor  God,  and 
deflroy  their  fouls  ?  Is  not  this  very  wrong, 
very  finful  in  all  parents  ?  but  efpecially  in 
profefTors  of  religion  ?  in  thofc  who  have  fol- 
emnly  covenanted  to  bring  up  their  children 
for  God  and  his  kingdom  ?  What  can  they 
fiy,  when  God  fhall  bring  them  to  judgment  ? 


C79] 

8.  Permit  me,  on  this  fubjed,  to  addrefs 
parents,  who  have  entered  into  covenant  with 
God. 

God  has  propofed  his  gracious  covenant  to 
you.  You  have  expreffed  your  confent  and 
acceptance  of  it,  and  have  entered  into  folemn, 
covenant  engagements  with  your  Maker.  To 
fpeak  in  the  language  of  an  eminent  Saint— ^ 
You  have  fworn  that  you  would  keep  God's 
righteous  judgments.  You  have  devoted 
your  children  to  God,  and  promifed,  in  de- 
pendance  on  his  grace,  to  bring  them  up  in 
the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.  The 
covenant  has  been  fealed  in  their  baptifm.— 
Are  you  not  peculiarly  bound  ?  are  you  not 
under  very  folemn  obligations  to  teach  your 
children  the  fear  of  God  ?  Is  not  much  de- 
pending on  your  faithfulnefs,  even  the  glory 
of  God,  the  profperity  of  the  Redeemer's 
kingdom,  and  your  own,  and  your  children's 
eternal  welfare  ? 

Your  faithfulnefs  will  contribute  to  the 
divine  glory  ;  for  it  will  manifeft  your  love 
to  God,  and  regard  to  his  authority. — Your 
faithfulnefs  will  alfo  have  great  influence  on 
others,  to  lead  them  to  be  faithful  and  glorify 
God. — ^If  you  and  other  parents  are  faithful 
and  bring  up  your  children  in  the  nurture  and 
admonition  of  the  Lord,  then  many  children 
will  actively  glorify  God. — God  will  be  alfo 
glorified  in  his  grace,  which  enables  you  and 


1 80  ] 

others  to  be  faithful,  and  which  bleffes  paren- 
tal faithfulnefs  to  the  converlion  of  children. 
But  if  you  negled  your  duty,  you  will  re- 
fled  great  difhonor  on  God.  You  will  tranf- 
grefs  his  command,  and  reje<5l  his  authority. 
Will  not  this  highly  difiionor  him  ?  For  by 
fuch  condu6l,  you  pradiically  fay  that  God  is 
not  worthy  to  be  obeyed — that  he  is  not  wor* 
thy  of  your  love  and  conftant  fervice.  You 
will  exprefs  a  low  efteem  of  God. — You  will 
alfo  lead  others  to  do  the  fame,  and  be  un- 
faithfuL — How  many  children  will  in  this 
way  be  negledled,  live  in  fin  and  unbelief,  and-, 
perhaps,  become  openly  vicious.  If  this 
Ihould  take  place,  will  not  God  be  greatly 
diflionored  in  the  houfes  of  his  friends — of 
his  covenant  people  ?  Is  not  God  more  dif- 
honored  by  the  wicked  lives  of  the  children 
of  profeffors,  than  by  the  wicked  lives  of  the 
children  of  others  ?  And  if  the  children  of 
profeffors  are  wicked  and  openly  vicious,  they 
are  oftentimes  more  fo  than  others ;  for  as 
they  free  themfelves  from  greater  reftraints, 
fo  they  more  eagerly  purfue  vicious  praclices. 
— Ought  not  a  regard  to  the  divine  glory,  to 
excite  you  to  be  faithful  ?  Can  you  endure 
the  thought  of  neglecling  your  children,  and 
of  having  them,  openly,  and  to  a  high  degree, 
diihonor  God  ?  Will  you  indulge  and  counte- 
nance your  children  in  thofe  pleafures  and  pur- 
fuits,  which  lead  them  to  neglect  prayer  and 
eaft  off  tlie  fear  of  God  ?  Are  you  willing  that 


C  8i  J 

your  children,  through  your  negle(5l,  fiiould 
profane  God's  name  and  Sabbath  ;  tread  under 
foot  his  beloved  Son ;  and  do  defpite  to  the 
Spirit  of  grace  ?  To  prove  that  you  are  not 
willing,  you  muft  be  faithful  and  bring  up 
your  children  in  the  nurture  and  admonition 
of  the  Lord. 

Further  :  It  is  for  the  profperity  of  Chrift's 
kingdom  for  you  to  be  faithful.  This  king- 
dom is  of  great  worth — it  is  of  infinite  worth. 
It  contains  all  the  redeemed  from  among  man- 
kind. And  the  glory  and  blelfednefs  of  this 
kingdom  are  increafed,  as  perfons  are  convert- 
ed, and  become  its  holy  members.  There  is 
joy  in  the  prefence  of  the  angels  of  God  over 
one  finner  that  repenteth.  So  likewifc  there 
is  joy  among  God's  redeemed  people,  on  eve- 
ry  fuch  event.  They  rejoice  that  Chrift  is 
glorified  ;  that  his  grace  is  difplayed ;  that 
his  kingdom  is  advanced,  and  another  brought 
to  praife  the  Lord,  and  be  blefled  with  his  fa- 
vor and  loving  kindnefs. — Do  you  not  defire^ 
chriftian  parents,  the  advancement  of  Chrift's 
kingdom  ?  Is  not  this  kingdom  dearer  to  you 
than  any  other  caufe  or  intereft  ?  Is  it  not  ex- 
ceedingly defirable  that  your  children  fiiould 
be  its  holy  members  ?  Can  you  then  neglect 
them  ?  Can  you  omit  to  inftrud  them  ?  and 
fervently  to  pray  for  them  ?  Can  you  be  neg- 
ligent and  unfaithful,  and  fo  have  your  chil- 
dren oppofe  Chrift's  glorious  caufe,  defpife  his 
gofpel  and  grace,  and  contemn  his  dying  love  l 


C  82  ] 

But  muft  yoa  not  exped  that  your  childreft 
will  do  thefe  things,  if  you  be  negligent  and 
unfaithful  ? 

It  ought  alfo  to  be  remembered  that  your 
negiecl  and  unfaithfulnefs  may  have  great  in- 
fluence on  generations  yet  unborn.  Not  only 
your  children,  but  alfo  ihe'irs  may  be  led,  in 
confequence  of  your  unfaithfulnefs,  to  neglecl 
religion,  to  diihonor  God,  and  oppofe  Chrift's 
kingdom.  If  your  children  live  in  fin,  their 
children  may,  and  probably  will,  do  the  fame  ; 
and  fo  may  the  next  generation,  and  fo  on 
from  generation  to  generation.  And  how  muft 
you  feel,  to  look  into  the  family  of  a  fon  cr 
daughter,  and  fee  their  children  advancing  in 
life,  without  religious  inllru6lion,  and  in  ex- 
treme danger  of  neglecting  the  gofpel,  to  their 
final  ruin.  But  if  your  children  are  truly  pious, 
we  fhall  have  more  hope  that  they  will  bring 
up  their  children  in  the  nurture  and  admoni- 
tion of  the  Lord.  And  thus  the  confequences 
of  your  conduct  may  extend  to  m.any  genera- 
tions. O  then  be  faithful,  that  thofe  who 
come  after  you,  may,  by  divine  grace,  honor 
God  and  advance  the  kingdom  of  the  Re- 
deemer. 

It  may  be  obferved  further,  that  a  regard 
to  the  fpiritual  and  eternal  welfare  of  your- 
felves  and  your  children,  fhould  excite  you 
to  be  faithful  to  them.  You  will  feel  the 
weight  of  this  motive  in  proportion  to  your 
holy,  diiinterefted  afFe(fliont 


C  83  ] 

Unfaithfulnefs  to  your  children  may  caufc 
you  much  pain  in  the  prefent  life.  Says  the 
pious  Mr.  Flavei,  "  Believe  this  as  an  undoubt- 
ed truth,  That  that  child  which  becomes 
through  thy  default  an  inftrunient  to  difhonor 
God,  Ihall  prove,  fooner  or  later,  a  fon  or 
daughter  of  forrow  to  thee."  Your  un- 
faithfulnefs  may  ib  difpleafe  God  as  to  de* 
prive  you  of  the  light  of  his  gracious  counte- 
nance. You  may  aifo  be  foreiy  cliaftifcd,  in 
various  ways,  for  your  neglect  of  duty.  But 
faithfulncfs  to  your  children  may  be  a  means 
of  your  enjoying  the  divine  prefence  and  bleff- 
ing.— You  may  be  exceedingly  rejoiced  and 
comforted  in  your  children,  if  you  bring  them 
up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 
You  and  thev  v/ill  then  be  mutual  blei!inf;S 
to  each  other.  But  if  you  are  unfaithful,  and 
they  live  and  die  in  fin,  how  different,  how 
painful  w^ill  be  your  feelings  ! 

If  you  be  faithful,  and  your  children  faved, 
with  what  joy,  with  v/hat  rapturous  joy,  will 
you  m.e€t  them  in  the  eternal  w^orld,  and 
before  your  Judge  r  Row  exceedingly  will  you 
rejoice  that  you  may  dwell  whh  them  forever 
in  love  and  uninterrupted  friendfhip  ?  But  how 
vaftly  dilrerent,  if  you  fhould  be  unfaithful, 
and  your  children  fhould  periili !  How  awful 
and  diitreffing  muil  their  condition  be  !  They 
muil  go  away  into  endiefs  punilhrnicnt  !  Will 
it  not  be  peculiarly  dreadful  and  diilrefiing  to 
them  to  be  feparated  from  their  affectionate 


[  84  ] 

"parents  and  all  God's  redeemed  people,  and 
fent  to  an  eternal  hell !  And  muft  not  their 
final  doom  be  more  awful  and  terrible,  on  ac- 
count of  the  rich  and  great  mercies,  which 
they  abufed? 

On  the  whole — Is  not  a  very  powerful  mo- 
tive prefented  before  you,  to  excite  you  to  be 
faithful  ?  Is  not  the  view,  which  is  now  ex- 
hibited of  parental  duty,  worthy  of  God  ? 
Does  it  not  afford  the  moft  animating  and 
forcible  flimulus  to  abound  in  duty  to  your 
dear,  your  beloved  offspring  ?  Be  excited  then, 
chriffian  parents,  to  be  faithful.  Be  abundant 
in  inftruding  your  children.  What  you  find 
to  do  for  their  religious  education,  do  it  with 
all  your  might.  Spare  no  pains,  and  negleA 
no  opportunity  to  teach  them  the  fear  of  God. 
Teach  them,  clearly,  their  lofi:  and  guilty  fi:ate, 
and  the  way  of  falvation  revealed  in  the  gof- 
pel.  Often  call  them,  in  a  very  feeling  and 
folemn  manner,  to  realize  death,  judgm.ent, 
and  eternity.  Counfel  and  warn  ;  perfuade 
and  urge  them  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  and  be- 
lieve in  his  Son.  They  have  been  fet  apart 
for  God,  and  he  denominates  them  holy  :  See 
that  they  do  not  debafe  and  pollute  themfelves, 
by  joining  in  the  falhionable  amufements  and 
purfuits  of  the  ungodly.  Remember  how 
God  executed  judgments  upon  Eli  and  his 
family,  becaufc  his  fons  made  themfelves  vile 
and  he  reflrained  them  not.  However  dif- 
icouraging  prefent  appearances  may   be,   yet 


[  85] 

periei'cre  in  your  faithful  exertions  to  favc 
your  offspring  from  fin  and  final  ruin.  Con- 
llantly  realize  your  need  of  God's  fpecial  grace. 
Be  abundant  in  prayer  ;  and  maintain  a  lively 
faith  in  the  Redeemer  and  in  the  promife  of 
God's  everlafting  covenant.  And  the  Lord 
be  a  God  not  only  to  you,  but  alfo  to  your 
children. 

9.  Let  me  addrefs  parents  who  are  not  in 
covenant  with  God.  You  may  perhaps  imag- 
ine that  you  are  not  under  fo  ftrict  and  fol- 
emn  obligations,  as  many  others,  to  bring  up 
your  children  in  the  nurture  and  admonition 
of  the  Lord.  It  is  true,  you  have  not  entered 
into  covenant  engagements  to  bring  up  your 
children  in  this  way.  But  is  not  this  your 
duty?  Gan  your  neglect  of  one  duty,  excufe 
you  for  not  performing  another  ?  Does  your 
refufmg  to  repent  and  to  become  God*s  cove- 
nant people,  free  you  from  obligation  to  teach 
your  children  the  fear  of  God  ?  Can  your  im- 
penitence and  unbelief  excufe  you  for  not  ded- 
icating your  children  to  God  in  faith?  and 
for  not  having  them  baptized?  Can  you,  on 
account  of  the  voluntary  wickednefs  of  your 
heart,  be  excufed  for  not  praying  for  your 
children,  and  for  not  training  them  up  in  the 
way  they  fliould  go  ?  Does  the  wickednefs  of 
your  heart  afibrd  you  the  leafl  excufe  for  neg- 
lecting your  duty  to  your  children  ?  Will  it  af- 
ford you  any  excufe  at  the  judgment  dav  ? 

H 


C  85] 

Let  me  carneftly  in  treat  you  to  confider,  fe- 
riouily,  the  tendency  of  neglecting  religion 
youriclf,  and  of  not  bringing  up  your  children 
in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord. — 
How  can  you  be  faithful  to  your  children, 
while  you  negled  religion,  and  live  without 
faith  and  a  fpirit  of  prayer  ?  While  you  con- 
tinue in  unbelief,  and  reject  God's  covenant, 
how  can  you  acceptably  dedicate  your  chil- 
dren to  him  ?  How  can  you  acceptably  have 
the  feal  of  the  covenant  applied  to  your  chil- 
dren, by  baptifm  ?  or  what  right  have  you  to 
the  feal  for  your  children,  while  you  rejed:  the 
covenant  by  unbelief,  and  will  not  become 
favingly  interefted  in  it  ?  How  can  you  faith- 
fully inftruclyour  children  in  the  things  of  re- 
ligion, while  you  live  in  fin,  and,  in  heart, 
hate  the  truth,  and  know  not  the  way  of  ex- 
perimental godlinefs  ?  How  can  you  faithfully 
and  fuccefsfully  intreat  and  urge  your  child- 
ren to  be  pious,  while  your  example  contra- 
dicts all  you  fay  ?  Will  not  your  children  re- 
gard your  example  more  than  your  words  ? 
Can  they  confider  you  in  earneft  in  recom- 
mending religion  to  them,  while  they  fee  you 
negled  it  ?  How  can  you  pray  for  your  chil- 
dren, while  prayer  is  a  difagreeable  bufmefsto 
you,  and  you  daily  omit  it  ?  How  can  you  re- 
prove them  for  living  in  fin,  when  you  do  the 
fame  ?  Or  how  can  you  warn  them  of  the 
awful  confequcnces  of  fuch  a  life,  while  you 
live  in  the  fame  v/ay  ? — Do  not  thefe  confidr 


[8;] 

crations  urge  you  to  repent  and  live  in  the  fear 
of  God?  that  you  may  be  faithful  to  your  chil- 
dren, and  bring  them  up  in  the  nurture  and 
admonition  of  the  Lord  ? 

But  what  will  become  of  your  dear  children, 
if  you  negledl  their  religious  education  and 
they  live  and  die  in  iin  ?  Muft  they  not  periih 
forever  ?  Is  not  this  confideration  affecting 
and  painful  to  you  r  Will  not  this  move  you 
to  attend  to  their  religious  education,  to  be 
affured  that  if  they  live  and  die  w^ithout  a 
change  of  heart,  they  muft  endure  endlefs  mif- 
ery  ?  They  are  placed  peculiarly  under  your 
care.  It  is  your  duty  to  train  them  up  in  the 
paths  of  holinefs,  that  they  may  be  meet  for 
heaven.  And  what  is  the  tendency  of  neg- 
lecting your  duty  to  your  children  ?  Is  it  not 
to  deftroy  them  ?  And  how  muft  you  feel,  to 
perifti  yourfelf,  and  to  have  your  dear  children 
perifti  with  you,  through  your  neglect  and  un- 
faithfulnefs  ?  If  this  Ciould  be  the  cafe,  how 
can  you  meet  your  children  at  the  bar  of  God  ! 
Plow  dreadful  then  to  be  found  an  impenitent 
iinner  yourfelf,  and  wholly  unfaithful  to  your 
children  !  Muft  you  not  ftand  at  the  left  hand 
of  your  Judge,  feif-convicted  and  felf-condem- 
ned  !  Will  not  the  Judge  bring  every  thing  to 
view  which  you  have  ever  done  ?  and  all  your 
unfaithfulnefs  to  your  children  ?-^May  not 
they  juftly  accufe  you  of  ruining  them  ?  of 
deftroying  their  fouls  ?  May  they  not  fay — 
*'  O  cruel  parent  !    We  v/ere  placed   under 


C  88  ■] 

your  care.  It  was  your  duty  to  bring  vis  up 
in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 
You  v/holly  neglecled  your  duty.  You  fpent 
that  time  in  fm  and  foliy,  which  you  fhould 
have  fpent  in  teaching  us  the  things  of  religion, 
and  in  praying  for  us.  You  did  not  recom- 
mend rehgion  to  us  by  your  example :  But 
your  example  led  us  to  neglecl  it,  and  live  in 
awfai  fecurity  upon  the  brink  of  ruin.  O  that 
you  had  faithfully  inftrucled  and  warned  us  ! 
O  that  you  had  fervently  prayed  for  our  falva- 
tion  !  How  could  you  conduct  in  the  awful 
mar*ner  you  did,  when  you  had  God's  word 
to  inftruclyou,  and  fuch  weighty  motives  fer 
before  you  !  You  let  us  live  in  hn  and  unbe- 
lief, v/ithouii  reorovins:  and  warnins:  us.  Wc 
vrere  then  pleafed  v/ith  it.  But  we  rnuil  no%v 
be  fentenced  to  endlcfs  torment !" — What, 
my  dear  friend,  will  you  be  able  to  fay  to 
thefe  things  ?  Hov/  will  you  then  view^ 
your  pail  impiety  and  negleci:  of  prayer  ?  How 
will  it  then  appear  to  you,  to  negleci  your  chil- 
dren ?  to  let  them  go  on  in  fm,  and  fpend 
their  time  in  folly  and  vain  diverlions,  and 
never  teach  them  that  they  muft  die  and  be 
brought,  into  judgment  ?  Will  you  not,  in 
view  of  the  fmal  judgment,  and  the  folenm 
.account  you  rnufl  then  give,  become  truly  re- 
ligious ?  If  you  do  not,  v/hat  has  now  been 
offered  for  your  conlideration,  will  then  rife 
in  judgment  againft  you  !  How  criminal,  how 
incxcui'iblc  vv-iil  you  be  found  !  How  ceferv-^ 


[«9  3 

ing  of  God^s  wrath  !  And  how  terrible  will  be 
your  final  doom  !  O  then  repent,  that  you 
may  efcape  the  v/rath  to  come  :  And  be  faith- 
ful to  your  children,  that  they,  by  divine 
grace,  may  ihare  with  you  in  endlefs  glory  and 
felicity. 

lo.  The  difcourfe  will  be  clofed  with  * 
few  words  to  thoi'e  young  perfons  and  chil- 
dren, who  have,  and  then  to  thofe,  who  hav? 
not,  pious  parents. 

To  have  pious  parents,  my  young  friends, 
is  an  unfpeakable  privilege.  You  ihould  ef- 
teem  it  a  great  favor,  that  your  parents  have 
dedicated  you  to  God— r-that  the  feai  of  his 
covenant  hath  been  put  upon  you  by  baptifm 
-^that  you  have  been  publicly  fet  apart  for 
God — and  that  your  parents  are  under  pe- 
culiar and  very  folemn  obligations  to  bring 
you  up  in  the  fear  of  God.  Do  not  view  it 
an  injury,  or  a  hardfhip,  that  your  parents  are 
abundant  in  teaching  you  the  things  of  relig- 
ion, and  in  counrellinn:^  warnin':r  and  com- 
manding  you  to  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord. 
But  view  all  this  as  deiigned  to  promote  your 
beft,  vour  everlaflino:  a:ood.  Do  not  think 
that  you  are  injured,  in.  not  being  allowed  to 
fpend  your  precious  time  in  thofe  pleafures,  in 
which  vou  fee  thouo-htlefs  vouno:  perfons  often- 
times  engaged.  But  remember  that  thefe 
pleafures  deRroy  the  foul.  Never  fay,  "  We 
will  purfue  them,  let  our  parents  and  miniilers 
lay  what  they  pleafe."  For  you  may  foon  iind.  \t 


[  90  ] 

extreme  folly  to  talk  and  condtK^i:  in  this  man- 
ner.— Often  think  how  exceedingly  you  grieve 
your  pious  and  affectionate  parents,  if  you 
flight  their  counfels  and  admonitions,  and  per- 
fift  in  folly  and  vanity,  in  impenitence  and  un- 
belief. Remember  that  your  final  doom  will 
be  dreadful  indeed,  if  you  live  and  die  in  fm. 
Notwithflanding  what  your  parents  have  done 
for  you,  you  will  perifh  in  a  mofl  awful  man- 
ner, if  you  do  not  repent  and  embrace  the 
Lord  Jefus  Chrifl.  Think  not  that  the  piety 
of  your  parents  will  fave  you,  without  having 
true  piety  yourfelves.  But  feel  that  what 
your  parents  have  done  for  you,  will  aggra- 
vate your  future  mifery,  if  you  die  im.penitent. 
O  then  repent  immediately  ;  give  up  your- 
felves to  God  in  an  everlafting  covenant ; 
praife  him  for  his  grace  ;  and  live,  by  faith 
in  Chrift,  to  the  glory  of  God. 

Let  thofe,  who  have  not  pious  parents,  feel 
that  they  can  have  no  excufe  for  living  in  iin. 
Your  parents'  impiety  and  negleft  of  duty 
will  not  juitify  your  wickednefs.  You  muft, 
my  dear  friends,  anfwer  for  yourfelves.  If 
you  be  found  at  lafl'to  be  impenitent  fmners, 
God  will  treat  you  accordingly,  and  fentencc 
you  to  endlefs  mifery.  Be  entreated  to  re- 
pent, and  become  the  humble  and  prayerful 
followers  of  Jefus  Chrifl.  His  favor  will  be 
infinitely  better  to  you  than  any  thing,  which 
this  world  can  bellow.  He  vv^ill  be  your  all- 
fufficient  friend  in  life,  at  death,  and  to  eterni- 


C  91  ] 

ty.  Pity  your  parents  and  pray  for  tliem« 
Do  not  reproach  them  for  their  impiety  and 
neglecl  of  duty.  But  let  your  pious  exam- 
ple and  dutiful  behaviour  convince  them 
of  the  reality  and  importance  of  godlinefs. 
God  may  make  you  the  inftruments  of  their 
converfion  :  He  may  change  their  hearts  in 
anfwer  to  your  fervent  prayers.  How  happy, 
how  glorious  this  would  be  !  What  a  founda- 
tion would  then  be  laid  for  mutual,  everlafting 
joy  ! — Let  eternal  realities  have  their  due  in- 
fluence on  your  minds.  Keep  death,  judg- 
ment, and  eternity  in  conftant  view.  Be  of- 
ten engaged  in  fecret  prayer.  Delight  in  God's 
word  ;  live  in  his  fear  ;  feek  the  honor  of  his 
name  j  and  you  will  be  bleffed  forever. 


AMEN, 


1^ 


